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Amid tectonic political churn at the hustings in Bihar, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday reiterated the party's push for a caste-based census across the country.
After Bihar's Mahagathbandhan government came out with a caste-based census, the first of its kind in the country, Rahul went a step further, promising to roll out a similar exercise across the country if voted back at the Centre this year. Interestingly, the caste-based census was a cause championed by Nitish before he fell out with the grand alliance in the state and Opposition bloc--INDIA. Confirming rumours of his split with the Mahagathbandhan in the state as well as the INDIA bloc, Nitish stepped down as CM on Sunday and tendered his resignation letter along with letters of support from BJP MLAs to the Governor. He will take as CM for the ninth time along with two deputy CMs from the BJP at 5 pm on Sunday. Lauding Telangana CM Revanth Reddy over his decision to conduct a caste census in the state, Rahul said it was the 'first step towards justice'. Posting from his personal handle on X, the Congress MP posted, "Caste census is the first step to justice! Because without knowing the social and economic health of any society, it is impossible to make proper plans for it. And caste census is the only way to ensure equitable participation of every section of the society in the prosperity of the country." Earlier, after the publication of the findings of the caste survey in Bihar, Bihar deputy CM and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, "64 per cent are backward and 20 per cent are SC, STs. This data shows that roughly 85 per cent are from the marginalised section of society. This has come before everyone in the country. Our fight has been for social justice and economic justice, to bring to the mainstream those who are weak." Nitish Kumar and his ally and RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav termed the publication of the caste-based census report "historic", while the BJP and other prominent parties of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) criticized the Bihar government calling the exercise and the report an "eye wash". (ANI)
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