Click to play videoNew Delhi: Several small parties led by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Thursday registered their protests with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh against the exclusion of minorities from the quota in the Lokpal. Lalu was supported by Janata Dal (United), Samajwadi Party, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Lok Janshakti Party and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders who have been opposing the Lokpal Bill in its present form.
Even Congress MP Raj Babbar supported the demand. The leaders including Lalu, Babbar and AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi met the Prime Minister to demand that quota for minorities be included in the Lokpal Bill.
Lalu demanded that the Bill should be amended to include the quota for minorities after meeting the Prime Minister.
"We raised our voices (against the exclusion of minorities from the Bill). There must be provision for reservation of minorities, OBCs, women, SCs and STs in the Bill," said Lalu
He said that the RSS and the BJP had influenced the government to remove minorities from the reservation provision.
"Even Anna did not oppose the issue," said the RJD chief.
When asked about the response of the Prime Minister, Lalu said: "The Prime Minister realised what we said. It is an incomplete Lokpal Bill. Amendments need to be introduced. The PM agreed with what we said."
Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav also backed Lalu, saying, "We had demanded reservation for minorities and we want that in Lokpal. We will be opposing the Lokpal Bill."
Another votary of minorities quota and LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan also questioned the need of "rushing" through the Lokpal Bill.
"It’s not good to remove the word minorities from the reservation in Lokpal. Why is the government rushing through the Bill? Why is it acting under pressure? The government seems to be working under BJP’s pressure. We met the Prime Minister and demanded quota even if it requires amending the Constitution. The government should do it."
In a last-minute bid to get Lalu on board, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Parliamentary Affairs Minister PK Bansal along with his deputy V Narayanasamy and Telecom and HRD Minister Kapil Sibal met him. JDU's Sharad Yadav and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi were also present at the meeting.
Meanwhile Minister of State, Parliamentary Affairs, Harish Rawat said: "The Constitution does not provide provision for reservation on religious grounds. We want minorities to be included. Hope the Cabinet meeting in evening can pave the way to provide reservation for minorities."
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