New Delhi: JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav today
described the Government`s decision to refer the issue of
including caste in census to a yet-to-be-formed Group of
Ministers as a "delaying tactic".
He also demanded that the proposed unique identity cards
should mention the caste of the citizens.
"The Union Cabinet has not yet taken a decision on caste
census as promised by the Prime Minister in the Lok Sabha. The
delay in taking the decision is damaging, because census is
already on. There is little or no time, yet the Cabinet has
referred the issue to a GoM (to be formed for the purpose),
which seems to be a delaying tactic," he told reporters here.
He said the government "cannot ignore the unanimity
reached in the Lok Sabha only because some of the members of
the Cabinet are opposing it."
The Prime Minister should have used his prerogative and
taken a clear decision on including caste in census to gather
more information on caste system, he said.
Yadav said, "Some funny logic is being given against
caste census".
"Some people say that a caste has different status in
different states and that is why it is difficult to count
them. Nothing can be more absurd than that. Just go on
counting their castes and talk of their status in different
states later while analysing the data".
The Union Cabinet yesterday had referred the issue of
caste census to a yet-to-be-formed GoM.
Yadav said that caste census is not meant only for
identifying the percentage of SCs, STs and OBCs but for every
citizen of the country who is willing to record his or her
caste to the enumerators.
"Enumerators don`t need to have special expertise to
enter the caste name in the form. They have to enter the caste
as told by the citizen in the same way as they enter religion
in the proforma," Yadav added.
The JD(U) chief said that under the Unique Identification
scheme, the government is going to issue I-cards to all the
citizens of the country. "I demand that the unique card should
have a caste column as well and the caste of the citizen must
be mentioned on that," he said.
As SCs, STs and OBCs have to get caste certificates, the
mentioning of caste in the proposed unique card will ensure
that they do not need to run to government offices for getting
their certificates made, he said.
The unique card carrying the caste name will also ease
the burden of government offices, he added.
On the current crisis in Jharkhand, Yadav said political
instability has been a "perpetual state of affairs" there ever
since the state came into being 10 years back.
"How can I suggest whether President`s Rule should be
imposed in Jharkhand or not. But considering the state of
affairs there, it could be an option," he said to a question.
BJP had earlier this week withdrawn support to the
JMM-led state government in Jharkhand, after Chief Minister
Shibu Soren refused to step down from his post in favour of
BJP`s nominee Arjun Munda.
JD(U), which has two MLAs in the state assembly, also
followed suit of its ally and withdrew support.
PTI
