New Delhi: All-party delegation led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed a caste-based census on the line of Karnataka. 

Nitish has taken 11 political leaders from the state, including RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, who made a strong pitch for the exercise.

After meeting Prime Minister, Nitish Kumar said, “People in Bihar and the entire country are of the same opinion on this issue. We are grateful to the PM for listening to us. Now, he has to take a decision on it.”

In Karnataka, then Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has ordered for the caste-based census, but successive governments have not accepted the report despite the Permanent Backward Classes Commission of Karnataka submits the report. Then Chairman of the Commission Kantharaj has submitted a detailed report to the government on the caste-based census in Karnataka. 

Opposition leader and RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav said, "In the interest of the nation, it will be a historical step, all the poor will benefit.". 

"When animals and trees are counted, then why not castes. When the government has no scientific data on the population, how can it make welfare policies?" he added. 

Read: Nitish led all party delegation to meet PM over caste census

"When states will have caste data, then only it will be able to include castes in the state OBC list. If caste Census will lead to unrest, then the same logic applies to religion as well," said Tejashwi.

In Chief Minister’s led delegation, Mukesh Sahani, Tejashwi Yadav, Jitan Ram Manjhi, and others met the PM Narendra Modi over the demand for caste-based Census.

Bihar CM said that “there is a countrywide sentiment in favour of a caste Census being conducted at least once. There should be no misgivings as such an exercise will be beneficial for all social groups”.

However, BJP has wary about the conduct of the caste-based census, after seeing the consolidation of all parties regarding the caste-based census, BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said that bjp is not against for conduct of the caste-based census. However his tweets do not go well with the party. 

Meanwhile, Congress questioned the ruling BJP, why it was "running away" from a caste-based Census, which was mooted by a woman MP of the ruling BJP in the Lok Sabha and even by the chief ministers of Bihar and Odisha.