Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a scathing critique of the Bihar government under Nitish Kumar’s leadership on Sunday, alleging that they intentionally exaggerated the Muslim and Yadav populations in the state’s caste survey. Additionally, he accused the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government of engaging in what he termed “appeasement politics.” “The decision to conduct the caste survey in Bihar was taken when the JD(U) was part of the NDA. But the way the survey was conducted reveals the ulterior design of the Mahagathbandhan government… population of Muslims and Yadavs were deliberately inflated during the exercise,” Amit Shah said while addressing a rally in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district. “…The government is not interested in the welfare of people belonging to other backward communities,” he added.
The caste survey findings, disclosed on October 2, revealed that the extremely backward communities (ECB), composed of 112 different castes, constituted 36.01 percent of the population. Additionally, the backward castes, encompassing 30 communities, accounted for an additional 27.12 percent. Collectively, the other backward classes (OBC), a larger category comprising both backward castes and ECBs, represented 63.13 percent of the state’s population. In contrast, the Scheduled Castes (SC) constituted 19.65 percent, and the Scheduled Tribes (ST) accounted for 1.68 percent. Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister, Tejashwi Yadav, fired back at Amit Shah over his allegations, suggesting that if Shah believed there was manipulation in the Muslim and Yadav population data, he should initiate a nationwide caste census, including in BJP-governed states. Yadav stated, “All this nonsense talk comes from him… Whenever he visits here, he indulges in falsehoods and nonsensical statements because he lacks any substantial points to make. We are actively creating employment opportunities here, which he chooses not to discuss.”
