Questioning rationale of sending the matter related to inclusion of caste in census to group of ministers (GOM), Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday 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 in Lucknow.
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
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