Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday raked up the reservation issue by requesting the Centre to provide a separate quota for the Extremely Backward Castes (EBC) and also demanding the conduct of a caste-based census to arrive upon the numbers and needs of different sections of the society.

“The reservation for the backward castes in our state is divided into two categories — Other Backward Castes (OBCs) and EBCs. This was done by Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur (former chief minister) and has continued since then. We want it to be replicated at the Centre also though there it is a single category. It will be a good thing if people coming within the category get the benefit in a different manner,” Nitish said.

Nitish was talking to reporters after being asked about a debate that has cropped up in various forums after a leader from his Janata Dal United, Ajay Alok, tweeted that the next generation of a person who has benefited from reservation in studies and jobs should not get it.

The JDU leader reasoned that it would spread the advantage of affirmative action to a wider section of the society and free reservation from the grip of a few affluent families. Alok’s comments have triggered a raging debate on the issue.

Though Nitish asserted that he did not know about any such discussion or any proposal to deprive anybody of reservation, he added that it would be another matter if any assessment or study was being done to bring a change in the provisions of reservation.

Speaking further, the chief minister raised the demand for caste-based census and said: “We have asked for it previously also and it should be done at least once. It used to be done earlier, but was stopped prior to Independence.”

“The caste-based census will provide the correct information about the numerical strength of every caste and help decide what should be done for them. This is not just our demand. The members of the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council had unanimously passed a proposal for such a census and sent it to the Centre,” he added.

Nitish’s comments on reservation come at a time when the BJP–led government at the Centre has its hands full with several controversial issues generated due to its own policies, laws and actions.

The Bihar chief minister’s comments can further queer the pitch for the central government as reservation is a sensitive issue and various groups within the OBC are already demanding separate reservation in states like Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Nitish’s old friend-turned-foe, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, has also been continuously raising the demand for a caste-based census for the last several years. A section of Bihar politicians said Nitish’s comments indicate a growing closeness between the two leaders.

The Bihar chief minister had said on Tuesday that the people would be happy if fuel prices did not rise, while reacting to questions about the rapid rise in the prices of petrol and cooking gas across the country.