Chirag favours caste census, says data will improve policy implementation

Union minister Chirag Paswan has strongly batted for a nationwide caste-based census, saying data from the exercise will help in knowing the exact population of sections of society that require further upliftment.

Speaking at the 'India Today Conclave' in Mumbai on Wednesday, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president also said there is no doubt the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will again form government in Bihar, where the assembly polls are due in late 2025.

The Bihar assembly polls will be contested under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Paswan maintained, referring to the JD(U) leader and his one-time political rival.

The Dalit leader from Bihar also asserted his party is committed to a certain section of society it represents.

"We (LJP-Ram Vilas) have our own priorities, our concerns for the section of the society which we represent. If the section is wronged, then it is the responsibility of our party to become the voice of that section," Paswan said when asked about his stand on caste-based census and lateral entry in government jobs.

"Our stand is very clear -- there should be a caste-based census because many policies are made on the basis of caste to bring people of that community in mainstream. The government must at least have the (data of) population of that community so that funds could be allotted accordingly," Union Minister for Food Processing said.

Paswan said he and his ally BJP are on the same page on the issue of caste-based reservations and pointed to the support of the NDA to the caste survey undertaken in his home state Bihar in 2023.

The minister, whose party had "strong reservations" about lateral entry recruitments in bureaucracy, said he had strongly opposed the move.

The LJP (Ram Vilas) president said he brought to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's notice that there was an unrest among Scheduled Castes/OBCs over the UPSC decision to fill up key government posts through lateral entry, and the move was subsequently rescinded.

The first-time Union minister further said he intends to expand his largely Bihar-centric political party and indicated the outfit will contest the upcoming assembly polls in Jharkhand.

Asked about keeping his flock together, Paswan asserted all his five Lok Sabha MPs will stay with him and said those predicting that his party will break are only daydreaming.

On the Agnipath scheme for recruitment in defence forces, the minister said there was no reason to oppose the programme now.

Paswan said he and a delegation from his party have held discussions with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who explained to them in detail about the scheme, which has attracted criticism from the opposition.