Laluji, you have been tricked by govt: BJP

Lalu has said in parliament not to yield to Anna

PTI | December 27, 2011



BJP today sought to drive a wedge among supporters of the government on the Lokpal Bill by telling RJD chief Lalu Prasad that Congress has played a fraud on backward leaders like him by carving out a sub-quota for minorities out of the OBC quota in jobs and education.

"Laluji you have been tricked. Aap hi ke thaali se hissa bana liya. You are boiling (with anger) but you can't say a word because you proposed the inclusion of minorities in Lokpal," Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj said in the Lok Sabha.

Besides the Lokpal Bill, her obvious reference was to the 4.5 per cent Muslim reservation within the OBC quota of 27 per cent which was passed by the Cabinet last week.

"The government has benefited from both sides and it has looted your share from your plate," she said, adding that the tragedy was that "you can't oppose it but our (NDA and JD-U leader) Sharad Yadav will speak on this."

Taking a dig at Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee, Swaraj said his references to the legislation indicated that he wanted it to be passed "in whichever form - good or bad - even if the Supreme Court terms it as ultra vires".

"He is in a hurry to get this bill adopted as soon as possible as he has to prepare the Budget," she said.

Swaraj also claimed that there were different voices in the government on the creation of Lokayuktas with Mukherjee and Kapil Sibal saying it was optional for states, while V Narayanasamy said it was mandatory.

Swaraj questioned the need for quota for minorities in the Lokpal panel, saying the country has had four out of 11 Presidents and three Vice Presidents from the minority community without reservation.

Besides, five Chief Justices of India have been from the minority community as also the present Prime Minister and Chief Election Commissioner, she said.

"Manmohan Singhji did not become the Prime Minister because he belongs to the minority community. He became the Prime Minister because he is an outstanding Indian," the Leader of the Opposition observed.

She said S Y Quraishi had also become the CEC because of his capabilities.

Amid uproar and protests from AIMIM over BJP speaking on the issue, Swaraj said it was "no favour" by anybody but a matter of pride for the country.

Speaking on the elements of the Bill, she took a dig at the government, saying the legislation had deficiencies despite there being several legal luminaries like Home Minister P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Law Minister Salman Khurshid, Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal besides Mukherjee with vast Parliamentary experience.

Turning to Chidambaram who was present in the House, Swaraj said, "We may be opposed to him as Home Minister because of political reasons but he is an eminent lawyer."

BJP has been boycotting Chidambaram in Parliament, demanding his resignation over his alleged role in 2G spectrum allocation.

Later, Sibal returned the back-handed compliment, saying Swaraj had spoken like an advocate but it was dangerous if a Parliamentarian assumes the role of a lawyer. "I don't want you to do that," he told Swaraj.

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