Big blow to Nitish Kumar: Patna High Court stays caste-based census in Bihar

In a setback for the ruling government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the Patna High Court on Thursday ordered a stay on the caste-based Census currently underway in Bihar.

A bench of the Patna High Court led by Chief Justice V Chandran ordered an immediate stay on the ongoing exercise and that the data collected so far be preserved.

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The petition was filed before the high court by a social outfit and some individuals, who had last month moved the Supreme Court after their request for an ‘interim relief’ in the form of a stay on the survey was turned down. The top court, while refusing to interfere, referred them back to the high court with directions that their petition be decided expeditiously.

The matter will be taken up for hearing in the Patna High Court on July 3. The ongoing survey in Bihar lists 28 questions, including on caste, gender, religion, educational and financial status.

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Ahead of the verdict, Nitish had frowned upon the opposition from some quarters to the caste-based survey being conducted by the state government, stating that the exercise was initiated after taking all political parties into confidence.

Reiterating that the exercise would be beneficial to all, Nitish claimed that barring a few exceptions, all people in the state were in its favour.

“I cannot understand, why people have a problem with the survey. The last time a headcount was done was way back in 1931. We certainly have a fresh estimate. After all, the census takes into account respective populations of minorities, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes every ten years,” he said.

Reacting to the verdict, Bihar Deputy CM and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said that the exercise was for the benefit of the people and is bound to happen. “The caste-based census is for the welfare of the people as we want to eradicate poverty. One thing is clear, it is bound to happen,” he said.