New Delhi, May 26 (IANS) In an obvious bid to buy time, the demand for conducting a caste-based census was Wednesday referred by the cabinet to a group of ministers for taking a decision.
‘The cabinet has accorded in-principle approval to referring the issue to a group of ministers,’ official sources said after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
‘There was an intense discussion in the cabinet on the issue and it was felt that, given the diverse views on the issue, it would be best that a group of ministers consider such an emotive issue,’ the sources said.
‘The modalities of creating the group of ministers is being worked out,’ the sources added.
While the sources wouldn’t confirm this, the group of ministers is likely to be headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who has emerged as the government’s top trouble-shooter on contentious issues.
The issue had generated considerable heat in the just-concluded budget session of parliament with some opposition parties demanding that a caste count be included in the ongoing census exercise.
Speaking on the concluding day of the session May 7, Manmohan Singh said: ‘Home Minister (P. Chidambaram) has laid a detailed statement on the issue of Census 2011. I am aware of the views of honourable members belonging to all sections of the house. I assure you the cabinet will take a decision shortly.’
He had spoken in a similar vein at his national press conference Monday to mark the first anniversary of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s second tenure.
rounak