New Delhi: The minority clause has been added to the Lokpal Bill following vociferous protests by several MPs. The decision to bring back the minority clause was taken at a Congress Core Committee meeting in New Delhi on Thursday.
Several MPs 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) and Communist Party of India 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.
CPI MP D Raja also backed the demand saying that the Lokpal should reflect the social reality of India
"Denial of rights to the people of SC, ST, OBC, minorities and women is the biggest form of corruption in India," said Raja.
The clause was deleted from the final draft on Wednesday night during a meeting on the Bill.
Comments
0 comment