Caste Census Cleared By Centre: RJD Celebrates Lalu Yadav & Tejashwi Yadav With Poster Outside Party HQ

A large poster was seen outside the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) office in Patna on Wednesday, congratulating party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and senior leader Tejashwi Yadav. This poster came up shortly after the Central government announced its decision to include caste-based enumeration in the upcoming national Census.

The RJD has called this move a major ideological victory and a moment of pride, especially for Lalu Yadav, who has long championed the cause of social justice and representation for backward classes. The colourful poster not only celebrated the leaders but also reflected the mood of satisfaction and vindication among party workers.

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RJD leaders expressed that the decision to count caste data nationally was not sudden but the result of a 30-year-old demand. "This has been our consistent demand," said Tejashwi Yadav to IANS, the Leader of the Opposition in Bihar. "In 1996-97, when Janata Dal was in power, the Cabinet had approved a caste census. It should have been done in 2001, but it was stopped under Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government."

Tejashwi further explained that although the Centre cleared the proposal again in 2011, the caste data was never made public. The RJD, both in the Assembly and in Parliament, has raised this demand time and again. "Under our coalition government in Bihar, we even passed a resolution to support the caste census at the state level. This is not just about counting people. It's about ensuring that policies, budgets, and political seats truly reflect the population of backward and extremely backward communities," he added.

Senior RJD leader Sanjay Yadav echoed these sentiments. He said the move by the Centre confirms the strength of the party's ideology and long-standing efforts. "This is a win for the socialist principles of Lalu Prasad Yadav. When the Janata Dal was leading the government under Prime Minister Deve Gowda, we had already taken the decision to include caste in the 2001 Census. Unfortunately, that decision was reversed when the NDA came to power in 1998," he said.

He also recalled how the NDA government had conducted a socio-economic survey but did not release the full report. "Under Tejashwi's leadership, the Bihar Assembly passed resolutions twice in support of the caste census. Our MPs also raised this issue repeatedly in Parliament. After all the resistance, this decision shows that consistent democratic pressure can bring change," Sanjay Yadav added.

With the Centre finally agreeing to include caste data in the national Census, RJD leaders are calling this a crucial step toward equitable development. They have also emphasised that collecting the data is not enough - it must be followed by real action in the form of targeted welfare policies, political representation, and budgetary support for marginalised communities.