Minority Clause Included in Lokpal Bill

Amidst uproar by RJD, JD(U), AIMIM, SP and some other parties that minority clause has been excluded from the bill, the Lokpal Bill could not be tabled in the Parliament till 2 PM on Thursday.

According to sources the Prime Minister later gave clearance to the minority quota and it has been included in the bill. Congress Core Group, which met in the mornig today, has aslo cleared the proposal for minority quota. Now that the Core Group and the Prime Minister have cleared the proposal, there won't be any necessity for amendment of the bill.
 

Several MPs led by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad had earlier 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.