Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has demanded white paper from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on caste census and the current position of various policies formulated by the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) government to uplift the marginalised communities in the state based on the findings of the Caste Census.

Addressing a press conference in Patna on Monday, he asked the government to place it on record what has been done by the government so far to increase reservation, to provide financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to about 94 lakh families, and to provide 3 decimal land to landless Dalit families, based on the caste census report.

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Following the caste census report, the Bihar government had increased the reservation limit to 65 per cent. After the revised reservation limit was struck down by the Patna High Court, the state government decided to request the Centre to incorporate it into the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution to make it immune from judicial scrutiny.

The Bihar government had also approved financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to about 94 lakh families, with a monthly income Rs 6,000 or less, for entrepreneurship and self-employment. The government had also approved the scheme to provide three decimal lands to landless Dalit families.

Today, Prashant Kishore also demanded that the government should immediately stop land survey, saying disputes are happening in every house due to land survey which is also a major reason for sudden jump in crime rate and corruption in Bihar.

He warned of a state-wide signature campaign against the government, if these questions are not answered till 11 May.

He said a signature campaign would be carried out in 40,000 villages. On 11 July, the Jan Suraaj party leaders will meet the Governor and the Chief Minister with a memorandum carrying signatures of one crore people. They will also stage protests outside the assembly during the last assembly session.

It seems Prashant Kishor has stolen the thunder from the Congress Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Janata Dal (U), as caste census was supposed to be a game changer for them. Every party was trying to cash in on its efforts to carry out the Caste Census in Bihar during the Mahagathbandhan government and for the policies they had formulated to uplift the marginalised communities.