New Delhi, Dec 17, 2013 - A dalit rally organized by the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations (AICSO), an umbrella body of dalit organizations, at Jantar Mantar on Monday demanded that the Lokpal Bill be more inclusive and the institution have representation from SC, ST and OBC communities.

Attended by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari and Congress leader K Raju, the rally slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for not making its stance clear on SC/ST issues and not including any dalit issues in its 18-point programme addressed to Congress and BJP to accept their support for forming government in Delhi. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, who was invited to the rally, did not attend.

National chairman of AICSO Udit Raj criticized Kejriwal for not including civil society and corporate houses in his Jan Lokpal Bill.

The rally was significant for the invitation given to Kejriwal whose party has not yet made its stance clear on various political, social and economic issues, including the tricky issue of caste divisions and reservations. The rally was organized to address dalit issues such as reservation in private sector, banning of contract system in safai work and land to landless among others.

At the well-attended rally, Udit Raj said, "When in August and September 2011, different bills were being considered to make lokpal in Parliament, demands of our version — Bahujan Lokpal Bill — were discussed and one among them was plural character of lokpal committee ensuring the representation of SC/ST/OBC. At no cost we will tolerate any dilution in it. Jan Lokpal Bill does not include civil society institutions which are equally responsible for corruption. Corporate houses and NGOs should also be brought under the ambit of lokpal. Why Arvind Kejriwal does not talk about civil society corruption? It goes without saying they are being benefitted through them. In 18-point programme addressed to Sonia Gandhi and Rajnath Singh, Aam Aadmi Party has not mentioned reservation and dalits feel betrayed."

Raj went on to say that AAP was a new phenomenon and people had voted for it for change but it had started vacillating from its stand. "Kejriwal's letter to Sonia Gandhi and Rajnath Singh ignores prominent issues like price rise and reservation. Dalits have voted in large number to get their grievances redressed and reservation implemented but after the results, there is no mention of these demands in their programmes. Kejriwal has been invited in the rally to address it but has not turned up. He was morally bound to participate and clear his stand on the issues," Raj said.

Source ::  Times of India