Yadavs protest caste count, LS adjourned
The Lok Sabha was adjourned on Thursday after the Yadav troika prote-sted against a group of minister’s decision to include caste in the Census 2011 at the biometric data stage.
The Yadav brigade, including RJD chief Lalu Prasad, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav raised the issue during the question hour charging the government with indulging in delaying tactics over the issue.
“The GoM has reportedly decided to include caste in the census during the biometric data collection stage which will either come very late or may not come at all,” said JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav. Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh Yadav, who did not allow the question hour to function, immediately joined him despite Speaker Meira Kumar’s requests to take up the matter during the zero hour. “The government has gone back on the promise it gave us,” said Lalu Prasad.
As the RJD and JD(U) members disrupted House proceedings over the issue, SP members rushed to the Well asking the Speaker to get a response from the government.
Sensing opportunity, the Opposition BJP too joined in the protest forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House till noon.
When the Lok Sabha reconvened, leader of the house Pranab Mukherjee, who heads the GoM looking into the inclusion of caste in census, clarified that the GoM had decided on Wednesday to converge caste in the census without affecting the integrity of the headcount.
“We considered the views of all the political parties before taking the decision. How and when this should be done is under consideration,” said Pranab Mukherjee. He further said that’s some members had given suggestions and the government will take an appropriate decision.
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