Cong leaders disown controversial 'caste list'

Facing mounting pressure from the party High Command, strong criticism from the political adversaries and a criminal case under the SC/ST

Prevention of Atrocities Act, state Congress chief Anil Kumar Sharma and AICC Bihar in-charge Jagdish Tytler are desperately trying to wriggle out of the soup they find themselves after distribution of the list of BPCC office-bearers with their castes affixed against their names. They included Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.

Both Sharma and Tytler are now disowning the list distributed to the media. Sharma claimed that the list shown by the media was 'fudged' and not the actual list released to the media. Tytler lost his cool at the media declaring that the 'caste list' shown by the media was 'leaked out' and had not been released officially. "You find out who brought the list. It is an internal document. So many things are mentioned in internal papers. But what is important is what comes out officially," Tytler told reporters here when asked about the leakage of the controversial list.

Tytler for the first time after he assumed charge of Bihar Congress also attacked the media saying, "It is the media which has damaged me. Just because you have power it does not mean you have to misuse it. If you are serious why don't you find out who stole the list... who took that list away, which was for our internal consumption." He insisted that the 'official' list released by the Congress does not carry the name of Meira Kumar as an office-bearer.

Apparently, the two have been feeling the heat of the faux pas of releasing the 'caste list by mistake.' With Rahul Gandhi scheduled to visit Bihar to give fillip to his plan of enrolling youths in the Youth Congress, this is the controversy the AICC did not want at all. The AICC is reportedly seeking legal advice on the case filed by a little known political activist, Vidhan Chandra Rana, under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act. The best way out, in the opinion of a senior party leader, is to disown the controversial 'caste list'.

Dissident Congress leaders, who have been gunning for the head of Sharma, have got a god sent opportunity to get after Sharma and also Tytler. They are camping in Delhi, meeting top party leaders and pointing out towards the embarrassment caused to the party. The political adversaries have not lagged behind. CM Nitish Kumar was quick to dub the Congress as a party mired in caste politics and trying to rake up caste tension as it was dying in Bihar. The 'caste list' is turning out to be a nightmare for the Congress.