Ahead of the monsoon session, senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee on Monday held discussions with some of the Opposition leaders during which the issue of inclusion of caste in census was discussed. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is also expected to meet the leaders in the first week of the session beginning July 26 after which Mukherjee will again have detailed discussions with them to ensure smooth running of the month-long session, sources said.
During the interactions today, JD-U Chief Sharad Yadav is understood to have raised the issue of inclusion of caste in census with Mukherjee and sought to know the rationale behind his writing a letter to all parties seeking their views on the matter. Mukherjee is learnt to have told Yadav that his step was only aimed at building consensus over the issue and the government is in favour of including caste in census. Yadav had shot off an "angry" letter to Mukherjee last week alleging "delaying tactics" on the part of the government.
Both the leaders also discussed the issue of turmoil in Kashmir, the political crisis in Nepal and Indo-Pak relationship. Mukherjee also met top BJP brass at a luncheon meeting here in which he sought their support for uniform taxation across the country in the wake of absence of a consensus over implementation of Goods and Services Tax. Later at the UPA meeting, Mukherjee briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and other alliance leaders on the discusssions he held with the opposition members. Mukherjee assured the Opposition leaders that the government was ready to discuss any issue which is of interest and concern to the members. PTI
