‘Nitish raised issue of caste census, Rahul kept mum’

New Delhi: The Janata Dal (United) on Sunday accused Rahul Gandhi of hypocrisy on the issue of caste census, charging him with maintaining silence when Bihar CM Nitish Kumar raised the matter in INDIA Bloc meetings.

The party also asked why the Congress government in Karnataka has not released the state’s caste data.

JD(U) working president and MP Sanjay Jha’s attack on the Congress leader came a day after Gandhi slammed the caste survey carried out by the Kumar-led government as a fake exercise at an event in Patna, while pitching for a nationwide caste census.

Speaking to news agency, Jha said, “There cannot be a bigger hypocrisy than this. I was a witness to Gandhi maintaining silence while Kumar strongly and logically spoke in favour of caste census at INDIA Bloc meetings in several places.”

Kumar-led JD(U) was part of the INDIA Bloc before he snapped ties with the Opposition alliance and joined hands with the BJP.

Incidentally, Bihar’s caste survey was carried out and its findings released

when the Congress was a partner in the government led by Kumar.

Jha said Kumar was the only leader who raised the issue of caste census, and all INDIA Bloc members were a witness.