New Delhi: The BJP and the JD(U) on Thursday
reacted cautiously to the cabinet`s decision to carry out
an independent caste census, while the Congress welcomed the
move saying it is with the government on the issue.
JD(U) President Sharad Yadav, who has been
spearheading the demand for inclusion of caste in the ongoing
census exercise, said his party will examine the government`s
decision.
"We will examine it. Our demand was for caste
enumeration in the on-going headcount. I don`t know what is
the logic of the government deciding to do it separately now,"
Yadav said.
The JD(U) chief`s reaction came after the Union
Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, decided in
favour of caste census. The exercise would be carried out next
year independent of the ongoing census operation.
The BJP has also said it would have been happier had
the caste been included in the on-going census process.
"It is the cabinet`s decision to hold it separately
from the regular census. We would ideally have been happy if
it was done (along) with the census process," BJP spokesperson
Shahnawaj Hussain said.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the party is
with the government over the issue.
"Casteism is the reality of India. If the government
of India has recognized this reality and agreed to inclusion
of caste in census, nobody should have any objection," he
said.
Tewari, however, said it would be premature to comment
further till the modalities of the exercise are worked out.
PTI
