The Hindu : New Delhi News : JD(U) objects to separate caste count decision

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Wednesday, Sep 15, 2010
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JD(U) objects to separate caste count decision

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Janata Dal (United) president Sharad Yadav on Tuesday criticised the decision of the United Progressive Alliance government to conduct a caste-based census.

“The Cabinet's decision on caste census is very bad. The government has decided to conduct another census after the completion of the ongoing census in order to count caste. We register our objection to this decision and we will make it a poll issue,” he said at a press conference here, ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.

Demanding an immediate review of the decision, Mr. Yadav alleged that UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who made the commitment that caste would be included in the census, had gone back on their word. Mr. Yadav demanded that the Cabinet include caste in the ongoing census exercise itself to avoid wasting money, time and effort.

Bowing to demands by several political parties, the government last week decided to carry out caste census next year, independent of the ongoing census operations.

The JD(U), the RJD and the Samajwadi Party had been demanding its inclusion in the current census.

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