California governor vetoes bill banning caste discrimination
- California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have banned caste discrimination in the state.
- The bill aimed to add caste as a protected category to California's civil rights laws, but Newsom argued existing laws already banned such discrimination.
- The caste system is a hierarchical social division originating in Hindu culture that assigns inherited status.
- While the bill had support from Dalit rights groups, it faced opposition from some Hindu organizations who argued it unfairly targeted their community.
- The veto dashed hopes that California would become the first US state to explicitly ban caste discrimination.