Lalu Prasad wants Centre to release caste-based Census data

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Saturday reiterated his demand that caste-based data of the Census of India 2011 should be made public by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government.

"The caste-based data of the Census of India 2011 should be made public. Why sit over it," Lalu asked in his latest tweet.

Lalu stressed that 10% people will not rule 90% people in the country. "Dus ka sashan nabbe per nahin chalega, nahi chalega," he said.

Lalu has been demanding since last year that the data should be made public to "ensure the empowerment of all those lagging behind in development."

Earlier, Lalu said people have a right to know it and every caste should know its strength and weakness in terms of population and other things.

Last month, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is also President of the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), demanded that the caste-based data of the Census of India 2011 should be made public.

The data will explode several myths about development of backward and marginalised people and help formulation of schemes for their socio-economic progress, he had said.

The Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011 was the first caste-based census since 1931, he noted.

Last year, during the Bihar Assembly polls, Nitish Kumar joined RJD chief Lalu Prasad in demanding that the central government should make the caste-based statistics public.

In July last year, the central government released the Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011, but reportedly withheld the caste-based data, saying it was concerned with economic data which will help in effective implementation of its programmes.