UPA ally RJD on Sunday served an ultimatum on the Centre threatening to pull down the government if the caste was not included in the census.
Claiming that he could mobilise sufficient numbers to bring down the government on the issue, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad said there were leaders in other political parties too who shared a common perception on the inclusion of caste in the census though many of them were not speaking out.
Speaking at the RJD (Intellectual front) meeting here, Mr. Prasad said keeping in view the demand from various sections of civil society, the Centre should direct the enumerators to include caste in the census to enable each community know its strength. The move was bound to boost the confidence of individual caste groups after knowing their exact number, Mr. Prasad said.
The RJD has four MPs in the Lok Sabha.
Mr. Prasad also attacked the UPA on the Women’s Reservation Bill, which he described “a conspiracy” to undermine the sanctity of institutions like Parliament and State Assemblies.
The passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill will not only take away one-third of the parliamentary seats being represented by men, but also create disinterest among the elected members to nurse their constituencies knowing that they will not be able to contest from the particular constituency under the proposed rotation system, he said.
