BJP's Bihar allies laud Centre's announcement of caste enumeration as 'historic step'

BJP allies from poll-bound Bihar lauded the Modi government's announcement for caste enumeration as a ''historic step'' in national interest that will usher in a ''more just society''.

The JD(U) said it was its president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who created a favourable ground for the development by carrying out a caste survey in Bihar.

Its working president Sanjay Kumar Jha said the decision will help make programme for the deprived sections of the society more focussed.

Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan said it is an important decision in national interest, saying that his party had long called for it.

The decision will be a big step in the country's equitable development, the Union minister said, adding that caste census will help ''make more just and focussed policies''.

Paswan said that ''misleading claims'' were made about relations between him and the central government over the issue, and that the decision is a clear answer to such rumours.

Jha said it was the Congress government after independence which stopped the practice of caste census, and there were so many discrepancies in the 2011 caste survey done by the UPA government that it was not released.

Both the BJP allies hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the decision.

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