Leaders slam Mulayam over remarks on Arjun

Lucknow, May 30 : Leaders attending the Jan Morcha rally today slammed Samajwadi Party supremo and chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav over his reported remarks that union minister Arjun Singh be sent to jail for announcing OBC quota in institutions of higher education even as election process was underway in several states.

Reacting to the statement, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said irrespective of whether Mr Singh's announcement was timely or ill-timed, the Chief Minister should have refrained from making such a statement, which had in a way helped anti-reservation groups.

He also slammed the corporate world for inciting anti-reservation activists. ''When more seats for the OBCs would be introduced from next year, the seats for the general category would be increased simultaneously...then what is the quarrel about?'' After much furore was created over his remarks, Mr Yadav had clarified that if a case for alleged violation of model code of conduct be registered against his brother and UP PWD minister Shivpal Singh Yadav, then the union minister too be booked under similar charges for proposing OBC reservation when election process was underway. He had said there should not be two set of rules for different persons.

The CPI leader claimed the CM was agitated. ''When I reached here this morning, I was informed that the reservations for senior leaders at state guest houses was cancelled abruptly,'' he claimed.

Former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh, who is working at resurrecting the Jan Morcha said if Arjun Singh should be jailed for the OBC reservation issue, then should he be hanged (for implementing the recommendations of the Mandal Commission).

Railways minister Lalu Prasad Yadav also criticised the UP CM for his government's failures on all fronts.

''How can he turn UP into Uttam Pradesh when he has tied up with Mr Atal Bihar Vajpayee,'' the Railways minister said terming BJP as a communal outfit.

He maintained that several buses carrying rallyists were stopped and people prevented from reaching the rally site.

UNI

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