Padayatra from Bihar to Delhi the only way out for caste census, says Tejashwi Yadav

The RJD leader did not elaborate as to whether any tentative schedule has been planned

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday declared that he will launch a padayatra from Bihar to Delhi to press for a headcount of OBCs, which the Narendra Modi government at the Centre is reluctant to undertake as part of the census.

Talking to reporters here, the Leader of the Opposition in the State claimed that it was at the instance of his party, founded and headed by his father Lalu Prasad, that resolutions in support of caste census were passed twice by both houses of the legislature in Bihar.

He was replying to questions about Chief Minister Nitish Kumar blaming the delay in a state-specific survey of castes on the corona pandemic and assuring that it will now be taken up soon.

“I can only say that it was upon the initiative of the RJD and Lalu ji that resolutions were twice passed by the assembly and the legislative council and an all-party delegation met the prime minister to press the demand for the caste census”, said Mr. Yadav, who was a part of the delegation headed by Mr. Kumar.

“Now it seems that we are left with no other alternative except hitting the streets and undertaking a padayatra from Bihar to Delhi”, the former Deputy Chief Minister said without elaborating as to whether any tentative schedule has been planned.

The latest rhetoric from Mr. Yadav comes less than a week after he had declared in the social media that RJD will "not allow any census work in Bihar” until the Centre agreed to the demand for a caste census.