Dalit representative should be a Minister: Hegde

New Delhi, Apr 24: Amid Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's demand for inclusion of a Dalit in the Lokpal Bill drafting committee, Justice Santosh Hegde said if someone from the community should be included in the panel, then it should be one of the Dalit ministers.

"If at a Dalit is to be included in the panel, it should be one of the Dalit Ministers from the government," he told reporters.

His comments came in the backdrop of Mayawati's demand for inclusion of a Dalit representative in the Lokpal drafting committee Hegde, who is a member of the committee, had on Apr 23 said, "if you have to have any caste-wise representation, then this committee can never be constituted." Another panel member Arvind Kejriwal also said the government could replace one of the five ministers with a dalit representative.

PTI