Seven-member committee constituted by Congress to study matters of caste census
A seven-member committee was constituted by the Congress party under party President Sonia Gandhi in order to study matters related to caste census. As per a statement released by All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary KC Venugopal, the committee will be convened by former Karnataka chief minister Veerappa Moily.
West Bengal MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, Congress spokesperson Mohan Prakash, Haryana MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi, RPN Singh and PL Punia are the other members of the committee.
Earlier in the Lok Sabha, several opposition members demanded the caste-based census. The lower house later passed the bill to restore the power of states and union territories to prepare and maintain their own list of socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs).
The BJP leadership has so far not taken a categorical stand on the issue which has been lapped up by a number of regional parties, many of them its rivals in different states.
With census being the Union's prerogative, it is now up to the Centre to take a call on the demand.
(With inputs from ANI)
