Allegations of Inflated Caste Survey Numbers in Bihar

Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused the Grand Alliance government of inflating the population of Yadavs and Muslims in the Bihar caste survey as part of their “appeasement politics.” He made these allegations while addressing a public meeting in Patahi district, stating that the decision to conduct the caste survey was made when the BJP was part of the state government in alliance with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U).

Shah criticized the Grand Alliance for trying to portray themselves as champions of OBCs, claiming that the survey inflated the numbers of Muslims and Yadavs while deflating the number of EBCs under pressure from Lalu Prasad. The survey report, released last month, showed that Yadavs constitute 14.3% of Bihar’s population and Muslims account for 17.7%, compared to 12.7% and 14.7% respectively in 1931.

Shah clarified that the BJP is not opposed to the idea of a caste census, but will not engage in “politics of votes” on the issue. He emphasized the efforts made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that backward communities receive their due, including constitutional validity to the OBC commission and quotas for OBCs in petrol/gas agencies allotment.

Taking a dig at the Opposition, Shah advised Nitish Kumar to drop the idea of becoming PM and stated that the Ram Temple in Ayodhya would be inaugurated on January 22, 2024. He urged voters to bring the BJP back to power in Bihar in the 2025 Assembly election to rid the state of “jungleraj (misrule).”