By IANS,
New Delhi: A Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee began deliberations here Thursday on the demand for a caste-based census.
The meeting comes in the backdrop of the differences on the issue within the cabinet and among major political parties including the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
During the budget session of parliament, the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) had vociferously raised the demand for a caste-based census.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had told parliament that the government was aware of the views of the members and a decision on the issue would be taken by the cabinet.
The matter was subsequently referred to the GoM headed by Mukherjee.
The Samajwadi Party has already indicated that it will raise the issue in the monsoon session of parliament beginning later this month.
The party’s chief whip in Lok Sabha Shailendra Kumar accused the government of backtracking on the issue and said the party will stall proceedings in parliament if an early decision was not taken.
“We will not allow the house to function and launch an agitation if the government does not take an early decision for caste-based census,” Kumar told IANS.
Though the BJP had initially said that it was not against caste-based census, the party appears to have had a rethink following opposition to such a headcount from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Senior party leader Gopinath Munde has favoured such a census.
The opinion among the Congress is also varied. While Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily has favoured a caste-based census, Minister of State for Home Ajay Maken wrote an open letter to young MPs asking them to oppose a headcount based on caste.
The members of GoM include Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah, Urban Development Minister S. Jaipal Reddy and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee.