PATNA: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Sunday kicked up a political storm by alleging that the Centre was not in favour of conducting caste census as the OBCs, SCs and STs constitute 85% of the country’s population.
Sharing World Inequality Lab’s report, Lalu said that OBCs’ share in the national wealth had declined from 17.3% in 2013 to 9% in 2022. He alleged that the number of small and middle-sized businesses were also on the continuous decline as the farmers’ condition was deplorable due to the Centre’s wrong policies.
“Since nearly 85% of the population in the country are OBCs, SCs and STs, BJP does not want to conduct caste census as the dominance of affluent people in every sector would be exposed,” he added.
Sharing the report in X, the RJD chief said, “The research has revealed frightening statistics for the backward/Dalits and tribals. This research highlights the growing socio-economic inequality in the country.
According to this report, upper castes have 88.4% of the total wealth of the country, while OBCs have only 9 per cent and Scheduled Castes and Tribes have only 2.6%. In 2013, OBCs’ share of the country’s wealth was 17.3%, which has come down to only 9% in 2022. Agriculture is becoming a loss-making deal. Farmers are getting ruined due to wrong policies of the government.”
The RJD chief further said that for 10 years, the Modi government has been targeting and destroying small businesses of the OBC, SC and ST classes. As long as OBCs, SCs, STs and the poor upper caste people consider the BJP’s Bhakti, fanaticism and hate-mongering rioters as their leaders, these figures will only get worse.
The Bihar government conducted a caste-based survey in the state on its own.
According to the survey report, EBCs alone accounted for 36% of the state’s total population. If EBCs are clubbed with OBCs, their population accounted for 63.13% of the state’s population, he added.
The state government later raised the reservation quota from 50% to 65% in government jobs and educational institutions based on the caste based survey report. In addition, 10% reservation is meant for EWS (economic weaker sections).
The demand for representation on the basis of population is slowly gaining momentum in Bihar, Lalu stated.
Share of wealth
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad took to microblogging site X to quote a World Inequality Lab report, which said that upper castes have 88.4% of the total wealth of the country, while OBCs have only 9% and Scheduled Castes and Tribes have only 2.6%. In 2013, OBCs’ share of the country’s wealth was 17.3%, which has come down to only 9% in 2022, he said.