JD(U) MP Sunil Kumar Pintu raises questions regarding Bihar caste survey

“I am not against the caste survey; I am just demanding it be conducted again so that the real figure could be published,“ Pintu told The Hindu.

Bihar member of Parliament Sunil Kumar Pintu has raised question over the recently released caste-based survey claiming that the study was done improperly. Mr. Pintu alleged that the enumeration of the Teli caste has been undercounted and demanded that the survey be reconducted.

“When last caste census was carried out in 1931, the Teli community had 2.8% share in Bihar. Some 90 years later, the Teli community population has just increased by a mere 0.01%. That is impossible. I have spoken to several leaders of our community and I have been informed that big localities of the Teli community were left out during the survey. So, the leader of our community from every district has decided to meet in Patna on October 8 to discuss the issue in detail. I am not against the caste survey; I am just demanding it be conducted again so that the real figure could be published,“ Mr. Pintu told The Hindu.

When asked why he was raising questions on his own government when every Janata Dal (United) leader was praising it, Mr. Pintu said, “Apart from being an MP, I am also the convener of Teli Sahu Samaj and it is my duty to raise the import issue. If there is an error in the survey, It is my duty to raise it. People should not take this otherwise.”

The caste-based survey was released on October 2 by Bihar government which says that 63% of Bihar’s 13 crore population belongs to castes listed under the Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) categories.

Mr. Pintu also said that he will meet Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and submit the real figures of the Teli community which is roughly around 5% in Bihar.

Mr. Kumar’s close confidante and Minister Sanjay Jha slammed the MP, and alleged that he was being guided by certain ‘people’.

“Sunil Kumar Pintu is preparing to return from whence he had come; that explains the choice of his statements. He should ask the people by whom he his being guided regarding the caste census issue. When the report will come we will compare it with our caste survey report,“ Mr. Jha said.