Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav has said that the anti-Mandal lobby in the Congress was apparently pressurising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to accept caste-based Census.
Talking to reporters here on Friday, Mr Yadav appealed to the Prime Minister to stick to his statement made in the Lok Sabha and allow caste-based Census. “The Prime Minister had said that he would respect the sentiments of the House and majority members of the Lok Sabha want a caste Census. I appeal to the Prime Minister to fulfil his promise,” the SP leader said.
Mr Yadav further pointed out that the GoM (Group of Ministers) set up by the Union Cabinet on the issue had no relevance since almost all political parties had voiced their opinion on the issue. “I feel that it could be a ploy to postpone he entire issue,” he said.
The Samajwadi president further explained, “The reservation policy is based on caste and therefore a caste-based Census is needed to ensure that the benefits of the reservation policy reach the target groups. Some backward groups are searching for their identity and a caste-based Census will help them find it.”
Mr Yadav recalled that he had put 17 very backward caste groups in UP in the Scheduled Caste category but due to technical reasons, these caste groups have neither been able to avail the benefits of OBC reservation and nor that of Scheduled Castes.
“In the Prime Minister’s Office, the OBC representation in the bureaucracy is not even one per cent. There are no Muslim MPs from 12 states in the Lok Sabha. These are anomalies that must be dealt with and a caste Census can help in doing so,” he stated.
He clarified that his demand for caste-based Census was based on his commitment to ensure an identity for most backward castes that have no say in society and in politics.