Thursday, August 25 2005 19:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Seeking to use the proposed Women's Reservation Bill as a plank in the coming Assembly polls in Bihar, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) today (Aug 25, 2005) demanded its immediate passage and attacked BJP for "creating hurdles" in getting the legislation approved in its original form.

The party, at a meeting of its central office bearers, also demanded that a provision be made for reserving seats in legislatures for Muslims and Christians belonging to Dalit category on the same lines as being followed for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, LJP President and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said.

"The Women's Reservation Bill would have got passed some ten years back had it not been for the hurdles created by BJP," he said. Paswan said LJP would make efforts towards exposing the "real designs" of the saffron party. He said that his party also sought setting up of a National Commission to look after the welfare of those belonging to extremely backward castes.

Paswan made a fresh demand for job reservation in the private sector and said a legislation should be introduced in this regard.