After the Women’s Reservation Bill, the issue of inclusion of caste in Census has become tricky for the Congress-led coalition government at the Centre.
The government could not bring the bill in the Lok Sabha during the Budget Session even after it was passed in the Rajya Sabha mainly due to division in the ruling coalition and the BJP-led NDA.
This has given strength to the Yadav troika — Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mr Sharad Yadav — who have been pressing for quota for OBCs and minorities in this bill.
And now, the issue of the caste-based Census appeared to have divided the Congress and the BJP. While the Congress is reluctant to take a position on this issue at this juncture, the BJP has proposed to call an all-party meeting after the RSS opposed the caste-based Census.
Political parties did not oppose this issue when it was raised by the Yadav troika in the Lok Sabha in the last session.
While the deputy leader of the BJP in the House, Mr Gopinath Munde, had strongly pleaded in favour of it, the Left and regional parties too were supportive of it.
But now the Congress ministers are singing different tunes. The party is committed to the Women’s Reservation Bill mainly because the leadership has been firm on it, but it is divided on the caste-based Census.
The reason behind this confusion could be due to the lack of discussion within the Congress.
Even its dalit ministers in the Cabinet are said to have not been fully convinced on this issue, reflected in the decision of referring the issue to a group of ministers.