File photo of Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today dared the BJP to release the country's caste breakup enumerated in the latest economic and caste census report if they want the welfare of Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
Yesterday, BJP President Amit Shah had taken a dig at non BJP leaders like Mr Kumar, claiming that only his party has worked for upliftment of OBC community in the country. Mr Shah was addressing the newly-created OBC morcha (wing) of the party.
An OBC leader himself, the chief minister challenged the Centre to release the caste data of Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011, which takes caste into account for the first time in any such exercise since 1931.
Mr Kumar said, "Why aren't they releasing the data related to castes? You can't help the community by just saying you are one of them. What are the statistics, numbers, economic and educational status of OBCs in the country? We need to find solutions to make their conditions better."
Elections are due in the state within a few months.
Earlier, Mr Shah had also claimed that the BJP has given the country, its first OBC Prime Minister in Narendra Modi. The chief minister sought to put the record straight.
Mr Kumar said, "They (BJP) don't know that first OBC PM was HD Devegowda and not Mr Modi. Just having a PM or a CM from OBC doesn't solve the problems faced by them."
Only Yesterday, the Janata Parivar alliance led by Mr Kumar's Janata Dal United (JDU) and Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) Lalu Prasad suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of the BJP in the state legislative council elections. The BJP alliance swept 13 out of the 24 seats.
Mr Prasad defended the outcome, he said, "He (Amit Shah) is unable to see that NDA won 12 seats (but) we won 10 seats. There is not much difference in numbers. We lost a few seats with very narrow margin."
This has led to the fresh war of words between the two sides.