Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour, Lalu Prasad said there was a "huge conspiracy" behind the way the current national census was being carried out.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today took exception to the way the national census was being carried out and demanded that it be held on the basis of caste to bring out the number of people belonging backward classes.
Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour, Prasad said there was a "huge conspiracy" behind the way the current national census was being carried out.
Supported by Yadav, the RJD leader said the census should be carried out like the one in 1931 when information was collected on the basis of caste and the population of the backwards had become known.
Leader of the opposition Sushma Swaraj sought a discussion on the census in the House which was agreed to by speaker Meira Kumar.
A host of other issues including plight of potato growers and corruption in the Union home ministry besides demand for more money from the PM's relief fund for the sick were raised.
Reoti Raman Singh (SP) expressed himself strongly against limiting the quota of MPs for giving relief from the PM relief fund to the needy people suffering from serious illnesses like cancer and heart.
He was supported by several members and minister of state for Parliamentary affairs V Narayanasamy assured the House that the matter would be brought to the attention of the prime minister.
Rajnath Singh (BJP) drew the government's attention to the plight of potato growers in the country. He spoke of attempts by some farmers in West Bengal to commit suicide as the prices of their produce crashed.
He wanted the government to do away with the forward trading in potato, onions and tomato and steps to help the potato growers.
Shailendra Kumar (SP) asked the government to ensure proper investigation into the alleged corruption in the Union home ministry during the purchase of bulletproof jackets.
Jagdambika Pal (Congress) narrated the plight of cane-growers in Uttar Pradesh following the failure of sugar mills to give arrears totalling Rs 1,111 crore. Amid protests from BSP members, he wanted the state government to immediately intervene in the matter.
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