Lalu favours ten percent reservation for upper castes in govt jobs

Patna, Oct 27 (UNI) RJD Chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today vouched for any Bill to amend the Constitution clearing the decks for ten per cent reservation for upper castes in government services.

Speaking at a function, organised here to mark the 120th birth anniversary of the first Chief Minister of Bihar Dr Srikrishna Singh, Mr Prasad said he would not hesitate to support constitutional amendment for the reservation to upper castes if his party was politically strong enough to push it through Parliament.

He appealed to the people to lend support to his party for making it viable to effect the required constituional amednment in this regard.

Mr Prasad ruled out any possibility of mid-term poll in the wake of impasse over Indo-US nuclear deal between Left parties and UPA and added it was an era of coaltion politics and the issue could be resolved through dialogue.

He castgiated Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for shifting the power from the people's representatives to the hands of government officers at the panchayat level.

He also promised to accelerate the pace of develoment in Bihar by executing various railway projects in the state. ''Our party is organising 'Chetavni rally' in the state capital tomorrow and if the state government fails to mend its ways, he would organise 'Bhagawan rally' (Scare away rally) to dislodge the Nitish Kumar government, ''he warned.

Mr Prasad paid tribute to the first Chief Minister and described him as a great freedom fighter, who exhibited his exemplary administrative ability for doing away with the practice of Zamindari system in Bihar.

For his contribution in land reforms, Mr Singh would always be remembered for the days ahead, he added.

UNI