Govt. will not allow caste-based census to affect head count integrity: Mukherjee

NEW DELHI - Union Finance Minister and Leader of the House in the Lok Sabha, Pranab Mukherjee, on Thursday said that the Central Government will not allow caste-based census to affect the integrity of the head count in the country.
Assuring members of the Lok Sabha on this issue, Mukherjee said that the views of all political parties would be kept in mind when determining the process and mechanism to be adopted for the caste-based census.

He revealed that the Union Cabinet is yet to take a decision on the issue, and added that the house would be informed about it at an appropriate time.

Mukherjee’s assurances, however, did not cut ice with the opposition, which repeatedly objected to the decision of a Group of Ministers to include caste in census at the biometric stage.

Proceedings in the Lower House were interrupted twice, forcing the Speaker to adjourn deliberations till 2 p.m.

Earlier, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav claimed that the inclusion of caste in census at the biometric stage amounted to befooling the people.

Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav said if this was done, the exercise would not be completed in 100 years.

He received support from leaders and representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), as also from the RJD.

The opposition raised slogans in favour of a head count of every citizen on a caste basis.

In the din, Trinamool Congress members, led by Sudip Bandopadhyay, also tried to raise the issue of an attempt on the life of Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee a few days back.

As the pandemonium showed no signs of ending, the Speaker adjourned proceedings. (ANI)