Does PM think caste census is divisive, asks Congress

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi with questions on Bihar, asking whether he thinks that a caste census is divisive and will he take decisive steps to remove the "arbitrary" 50 per cent ceiling on reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and OBCs.

Ahead of the prime minister's engagements in Bihar, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said he has four questions for the PM as he visits Darbhanga.

Why was AIIMS Darbhanga so delayed, Ramesh asked.

"The AIIMS in Darbhanga was announced by then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the Union Budget for 2015-2016. Locals have been waiting for the hospital since then, but it took nine years for work to even begin," Ramesh said in his post on X.

It appears that the delay was partly due to the Union Government's insistence on seeking political credit for it, and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's machinations to ensure he benefitted from it, Ramesh alleged.

"Will the non-biological PM shed light on this delay?" he said.

Ramesh further asked why has the BJP "neglected" the Maithili language.

He alleged that in the last 20 years, the BJP has done nothing to develop, protect, or promote the Maithili language.

"Maithili is a scheduled language, included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and in 1968, the Official Language Resolution bound the Centre and states to take 'concerted measures' for the 'full development' of the scheduled languages, 'so that they grow rapidly in richness and become effective means of communicating modern knowledge'," he said.

"The BJP, in their 10 years in power in the Centre, and 13 years in power in Bihar, have completely disregarded this resolution. They have refused to make the language the medium of instruction in primary schools and the state's Maithili Academy has turned into a ghost organisation, with no funds, no chairman, no staff, and no publications for years," Ramesh said.

Why have the PM and the BJP neglected the language, he asked.

He further asked where are the promised airports for Muzaffarpur, Purnea, or Bhagalpur.

"The non-biological PM promised an airport in Purnia on 18th August, 2015. Six years and three Nitish Kumar U-turns later, his government is yet to fulfill the promise. In a 2019 rally, Mr. Modi promised to open Patahi Airport in Muzaffarpur. In 2023, the Home Minister Amit Shah also pledged to kickstart operations at the Patahi airport, while the BJP promised a fully operational airport by Diwali 2023," he said.

However, an AAI ground team from March 2024 found that the land plot has broken boundary walls, and buffaloes roam the runway, Ramesh said.

"What on earth has the government been doing for 10 years? Muzaffarpur joins Purnia and Bhagalpur as cities that need and deserve airports, but under the Bharatiya Jumla Party, all they get is broken promises," he said.

Why has the PM repeatedly lied to the people of Bihar on this subject, he asked.

Ramesh also asked whether the PM thinks that a caste census is divisive.

The Congress is committed to a nation-wide social and economic caste census and its state government has begun to conduct one in Telangana, he said.

"Under pressure from the Congress and RJD, the Nitish Kumar government was forced to release the Bihar Caste Census data in October 2023. Prime Minister Modi accused it of 'dividing the country in the name of caste'," Ramesh said.

After shaking hands with him, what does the prime minister think about the caste-based survey released by his old/new ally, he asked.

"Will he take it forward in the decadal Census that was supposed to be held in 2021 but looks likely to be conduced soon? And will he take decisive steps to remove the arbitrary and artificial 50 per cent ceiling on reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and OBCs?" Ramesh said.