The Bihar state government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has taken a strong stance against the allegations made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the manipulation of a caste survey. Shah had claimed that the survey had shown "inflated" numbers of Yadavs and Muslims.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary expressed his disapproval of Shah's assertions during a BJP rally in Muzaffarpur, labeling them as bereft of logic and unbecoming of a person holding a responsible post. Chaudhary pointed out that Yadavs are recognized as an Other Backward Class (OBC) group, and questioned Shah's statement that their numbers had been exaggerated at the expense of other OBCs, PTI reported.
Chaudhary also challenged Shah to disclose the basis for his claims and questioned how the home minister arrived at his estimates. He further mocked the BJP's position, which had initially supported the caste survey but now appeared to question its accuracy, implying an inconsistency in their stance.
The state government emphasized that it had decided to conduct the caste survey only after the central government had expressed reluctance in conducting a caste census. Chaudhary criticized Shah for naming specific communities during his speech, accusing him of exploiting social divisions for political gain.
The disagreement over the caste survey was a prominent topic of discussion outside the state assembly after the House was adjourned on the first day of the winter session. During the proceedings, a proposal to condole the deaths of Gaza civilians in Israeli military operations led to a commotion. The proposal faced opposition from some members, including JD(U) MLA Sanjeev Kumar, who accused the Left leader of supporting the terrorist group Hamas.
Although Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary did not entertain the exchanges, the issue remains a subject of contention. The CPI(ML) Liberation leader, Mehboob Alam, emphasized that the Chair had not rejected his proposal and defended it as a matter of compassion.
The CPI(ML) Liberation's concerns about the Gaza crisis were echoed by Congress legislature party leader Shakil Ahmed Khan, who expressed support for the Palestinian right to peaceful negotiations and criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for undermining the United Nations.
The CPI(ML) Liberation, with 12 members in the 243-strong assembly, organized a procession at the Vidhan Sabha premises, demanding an end to the violence in Gaza and accusing the Narendra Modi government of aligning with Israel-US interests in foreign policy decisions.
