Lalu urges Govt. not to rush passing of Lokpal Bill

New Delhi, Dec 22 (ANI): Terming the Lokpal Bill drafted by the Centre to be a cut and paste bill, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Thursday urged the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government not to do anything wrong in fear of agitation.

"Want to thank government for bringing back minority quota. But don't rush us. It is our job to pass or not pass this. Tomorrow, someone else orders us and treats us like slaves, warns that he will get protests organized outside homes of Sonia, Rahul Gandhi and other leaders. This is not correct. Country should be run by authority and right, not by agitation," Yadav told the Lok Sabha.

Asserting that agitations do not run the country, Yadav hit out at veteran social activist Anna Hazare and his aides, saying five people cannot issue dictates to the House.

"The government should not be pressurised by outside forces," he said.

Yadav further demanded that the Prime Minister should be kept out of the ambit of Lokpal Bill, and advocated that the government should never bow to the pressure of including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the ambit of the anti-graft legislation.

He also mocked at the candlelight marches.

Yadav had earlier in the day alleged that the Congress had not included minorities under the preview of reservation for the Lokpal Bill.

"As per the information we are receiving, owing the pressure exerted by India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and Hindu radial outfit Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the Congress party has not included people from minority community in the Lokpal Bill," said Yadav.

"If it is true, we are not going to tolerate it and we are going to any extent to oppose it. After the Congress agrees to include the minority section in the 50 percent reservation for the Bill, then only we will think what is to be done," he added.

The government tabled the much-awaited Lokpal Bill in Parliament today. The Union Cabinet had earlier on Tuesday approved the Bill for creation of the Lokpal with Constitutional status.

The fresh Bill allows the Lokpal to oversee investigation of cases referred by it by the CBI. But, the Bill clearly mentions that CBI will continue to be under the government's administrative control. (ANI)