UP oppn seeks passage of assembly resolution for caste-based census

The Uttar Pradesh opposition parties on Friday rooted in the state assembly for passing a resolution for a caste-based census in 2021 on the lines of one passed by the Bihar legislature. The BSP, Congress and Samajwadi Party leaders raised the demand for passing a resolution to this effect during the Zero Hour of the House, arguing that a caste-based census would lead to better implementation of various developmental schemes.

Ram Govind Chaudhary (Samajwadi Party) raised the demand for the caste-based census arguing that backward lasses people were being denied their rights for which it was required that the forms that need to be filled for the census should carry a proper column for people's caste. BSP's Lalji Verma and Aradhana Misra of the Congress too raised similar demand.

With the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna expressing the government's inability in this regard, pointed out that it was not a state issue. At this, Chaudhary cited the cases when similar moves had been made by the state assembly in the past during Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav-led SP governments. Chaudhary recalled when the Backward Caste Commission was constituted , the then prime Minister had made a promise in this regard and asked what the problem was in doing so.

He also made a mention of the Bihar Assembly passing a similar resolution in this regard. When Speaker Hridya Narain Dikshit refused to allow them to speak, the SP members staged a walkout raising anti-government slogans. Bihar Assembly has already passed a resolution for the same.