Lucknow: Questioning rationale of sending
the matter related to inclusion of caste in census to group of
ministers (GOM), Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav
today asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to give immediate
orders for the same as per his assurance to the Lok Sabha.
"The Prime Minister had assured the highest panchayat
of the country, the Lok Sabha, that he would respect the views
of the members of various parties when the issue had come up
and he should issue immediate orders for the same", Yadav told
reporters here.
On the matter being referred to GOM, Yadav said it
was not required once it had been decided in the Lok Sabha and
apprehended the move could lead to shelving of the issue.
Claiming that almost all the parties, including some
leaders within Congress, were in favour of caste-based census,
Yadav in reply to a question said "anti-Mandal forces are
trying to pressurise the PM on the issue".
Elaborating on the reasons behind demanding caste
based census, the SP chief said as the reservation facility is
being extended on caste basis it was necessary that the exact
numbers of various castes was known.
"It was conducted only once in 1931 ...during the
implementation of the Mandal commission report also lack of
numbers had posed some problems", Yadav said adding that it
would incur no additional financial burden.
To a question, Yadav dissociated himself from his
reported statement during the party`s recent national
executive in Kolkata that his party was ready to step in case
Mamata Bannerji`s Trinamol Congress was dropped from UPA.
"I am not aware from where such a statement had
appeared. We do not believe in maneouvering and am not power
hungry", Yadav said and reiterated that his party was
supporting the UPA on issues.
PTI
