Include washermen community in SC lists: Lalu

Visakhapatnam, Oct 14 (UNI) Union Railway Minister and RJD president Lalu Prasad today inaugurated the two-day All India Rajaka Samaj conference here.

Speaking at the conference, Mr Lalu urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to fulfil the long pending demands of the washermen (dhobi) community by including them in the scheduled caste lists uniformly throughout the country.

The present status of the community varied from state to state due to discrimination by the Central government by including them in SC list in 17 states and three Union terrotories while excluding them from the SC lists in 11 states and four Union Territories, he added.

The conference, organised by the Andhra Pradesh Washermen Cooperative Socities Federation would observe a fast at the Boat Club in New Delhi, if the Centre failed to take immediate steps to include the dhobi community as SC in the 11 states and introduce SC and ST constitution amendment Bill in the next session of the Parliament.

Later, Mr Lalu released a book containing the history of Rajaka Samaj.

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