Monday, May 22 2006 16:01 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh today asked medical students and doctors to end their anti-reservation stir in the wake of the appeal made to them by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and leave the issue to him.

"On the issue of reservation, the Prime Minister has madean appeal. After this appeal, this agitation should end," Singh told reporters outside Parliament when asked about the continuing protests against the Government's proposal for reservation for OBCs in higher educational institutions.

"There is a need to have faith in him (Prime Minister) and then move forward on the issue," he said.

In his first direct intervention in the ongoing protests against reservation for OBCs, the Prime Minister had on Saturday appealed to the striking medical students to call off their agitation assuring them of an amicable settlement and to have faith in the Government.

However, the striking medicos have turned down the Prime Minister's appeal to end their stir and their talks with Health Secretary P C Hota last evening also failed to find any breakthrough.