Patna, Jul 29 (IANS): Tejashwi Yadav, the leader of opposition in Bihar assembly, will soon meet chief minister Nitish Kumar to discuss caste-based census in Bihar.

This comes in the wake of central government's denial to do the same in the country. Tejashwi Yadav said that Nitish Kumar also advocated caste-based census in the country. He said the opposition party leaders will ask him to put their views before Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Entire opposition parties in Bihar are with caste-based census. Hence, we will put our viewpoint before the chief minister and ask him to form a delegation comprising ruling as well as opposition leaders to meet with Narendra Modi on this issue," Tejashwi said.

"As the central government has already denied for initiating caste-based census in the country and may not give time to us, in that case, Nitish Kumar should initiate the same in Bihar at the expense of the state government. The Karnataka government did the same in its own state after central government's denial, the Nitish Kumar government can do the same," Tejashwi Yadav said.

Tejashwi said that 70 per cent of the Hindu population in the country is from the backward castes. Then, why the Centre is ignoring it is not understandable.

Tejashwi also raised this issue in the Bihar Assembly and requested the Speaker for discussion in the Question Hour. However, Speaker Vijay Sinha disallowed him from doing so. He asked Tejashwi Yadav to discuss the matter later in the day.