Hyderabad, Aug 25 - The Andhra Pradesh assembly Tuesday adopted a resolution urging the central government to take steps to grant Scheduled Caste (SC) status to Dalit Christians or SC members who convert to Christianity.

The resolution moved by Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy appealed to the centre to bring an amendment to the Constitution to confer SC status on Dalit Christians.

The ruling Congress, main opposition Telugu Desam Party, Praja Rajyam, Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India-Marxist all supported the resolution.

The only exceptions were the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Lok Satta.

The chief minister said there was a need for SC status to Dalit Christians as they continue to face the same discrimination as Dalits. He assured the house that the government was positively inclined towards providing the same status to Dalit Muslims.

MIM demanded that Dalits who have converted to Islam should also be given SC status.