Jind (Haryana): Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said there are many people from backward communities and classes who are yet to be brought into the mainstream, as he pitched for a caste census in the country. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister was addressing a gathering at a rally here organised by Balraj Kundu, an Independent legislator, who represents Meham in the Haryana Assembly.
Kundu a few months back floated his own outfit Haryana Jansewak Party. The development comes ahead of the next year assembly polls in Haryana, where the BJP-JJP coalition is in power. Yadav said his party will continue to work towards ensuring that people from backward communities and classes get their rights and respect.
"We assure you that the way the whole country today wants a caste census because after so many years of independence there are many backward people whose counting could not be done and we could not bring them into the mainstream," the Samajwadi Party (SP) president said.
"There are many castes in the country which do not have any identification. Therefore, a voice which once raised from Uttar Pradesh (for a caste census), is now also being raised in Bihar. We know that people of Haryana also want this (census)," he said.