BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad has asserted that neither he nor his family members were approached to provide their information for the Bihar caste survey, even though he resides in Patna. The state public relations department has refuted this claim, stating that his and his family’s data were collected in accordance with the established procedures. Mr. Prasad countered by pointing out that the survey form mandates the signature of the head of the family, which was not obtained in his case.
In response to Mr. Prasad’s remarks, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav suggested that those who have concerns about the survey should request the Prime Minister to conduct a similar survey for the entire country. He also criticized the BJP for simultaneously endorsing and criticizing the survey.
During a press conference, Mr. Prasad expressed his party’s support for the caste survey in Bihar but claimed that no enumerator had contacted him or his family to gather their information, despite him being the Lok Sabha MP from Patna Sahib. He also echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s accusation that the ruling coalition in Bihar orchestrated the survey to create division in the country. He called for the data to be made public to ensure transparency.
The state public relations department issued a rebuttal, stating that the information from the MP was collected according to established norms and that releasing the data would raise privacy concerns.
Later in the day, Mr. Prasad posted on social media that the signature of the house owner is mandatory according to the caste survey form, and his signature was not taken. He alleged that thousands of people in Bihar share similar concerns.
Tejashwi Yadav highlighted that all parties in Bihar, including the BJP, had supported the caste survey. He criticized the BJP for both endorsing and criticizing the survey simultaneously, suggesting that they should request the Prime Minister to conduct a similar survey for the entire country if they have objections.
The Bihar caste survey data revealed that nearly 63.1% of the state’s 13.1 crore population belongs to a backward class, with approximately 85% being members of a backward or extremely backward class, or a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe. The general category comprises just 15.5% of the population, with the Yadav community being the largest group among the Other Backward Classes.
