Selja's remark row: Yechury asks Govt. to act appropriately

CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday threw light on caste discriminations in the country following Congress MP Kumari Selja's claims that she was asked about her caste when she visited Gujarat's Dwarka temple and advised the government to initiate appropriate steps as per the Constitution.

"The issue that came up today is Kumari Selja was talking about the temple where her entry was not permitted because of her caste background....That is not the issue, the issue is even today in large parts of country there are places and areas where such caste discrimination continues to prevail and not merely prevail but it is enforced through an institutional mechanism which is a law unto itself," Yechury told the media here.

"Whenever facts come to the fore, they (the government) say it is fabricated and manufactured. This is the reality in the country. They should take the responsibility and initiate appropriate steps as per the Constitution," he added.

The Congress members today forced many adjournments of the Rajya Sabha, protesting the statements of Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Piyush Goyal disputing Kumari Selja's version that she was asked about her caste in a Gujarat temple.

The Congress members trooped into the Well raising slogans, forcing adjournments, the first time for 10 minutes, then till noon and thereafter again till 2 pm, alleging that the government's statements disputing Selja's remarks were 'misleading'.

Selja had created a stir during the debate on commitment to the Constitution yesterday, claiming that she was asked about her caste when she had visited a temple in Dwarka town of Gujarat as a union minister during the UPA regime.