New Delhi: After many differences, the Congress has decided to go with caste census. In a meeting of its core group here on Monday, the party gave a go ahead to the proposal, indicating the ongoing biometric Census may include caste now.
With differences on the issue in major parties the Prime Minister had earlier formed a Group of Ministers to decide on the issue. The BJP has supported inclusion of caste in Census against the wishes of the RSS.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said her letter to Pranab Mukherjee, who heads the Group of Ministers on the issue, giving BJP's assent to "canvassing of caste" in Census followed discussions with the RSS.
"BJP had discussed the inclusion of Caste in Census issue with the RSS. We went ahead with our decision despite disagreement with RSS on the issue," Swaraj said. The BJP had given its point of view on why it favoured inclusion of caste in Census.
While RSS is vehemently opposed to the idea as it feels India is one nation and there should be no divisions on basis of caste, creed, language, race or religion, it found the idea of including only caste and not categories like OBC in Census more palatable, sources said.
The Sangh felt that enumerating caste under OBC category, as is done for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe, would create more rift in society. BJP President Nitin Gadkari himself discussed the issue with RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat and conveyed the party view.
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