GoM on caste census to meet Wednesday

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NEW DELHI - The Group of Ministers (GoM) on caste-based census headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is meeting here Wednesday evening to consider the views of political parties on the issue.

The meeting comes in the backdrop of political parties such as the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) exerting pressure on the government to take an early decision on a caste-based census.

JD-U chief Sharad Yadav had last month written a letter to Mukherjee urging him to expedite a decision on the issue.

At its meeting July 1, the GoM had decided to seek the views of political parties in four weeks on the need for a caste-based headcount.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had last week told the GoM the party was not against caste being enumerated in the ongoing census, the Congress said that it will go by the consensus view on the demand for caste-based census.

BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, in her letter to Mukherjee, also said the caste-based census should be conducted in a manner that the integrity of the headcount is not affected.

Swaraj, who is Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said the party had already clarified in parliament that it was not opposed to the proposal.

The Congress said Tuesday that it will go by the consensus view on the demand for caste-based census.

Party spokesman Manish Tewari said the United Progressive Alliance was endeavouring for a consensus on the issue and the Congress will be with the consensus that emerges.

Congress leaders had said earlier that they had the option not to reply to the letter from the GoM seeking the party’s views on the issue.

The GoM on caste census includes union ministers Sharad Pawar, A.K. Antony, P. Chidambaram, Mamata Banerjee, M. Veerapa Moily, Farooq Abdullah, Dayanidhi Maran, Kapil Sibal, Mukul Wasnik and Salman Khurshid.

Sources said that Banerjee and Khurshid are unlikely to attend Wednesday’s GoM meeting.