NDA wants Lokpal passed in din, SP, BSP skip all-party meet

While the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders told Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari at the all-party meet on Monday that the Lokpal Bill be passed in the din, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) skipped the meeting. The Samajwadi Party is adamant and made it clear that it won't support the Bill.

"Our stand hasn't changed, we will continue to oppose the Lokpal Bill in Rajya Sabha as we have been doing," said SP MP Ram Gopal Yadav.

Also read: Promises made by AAP unrealistic: Sheila DikshitYadav also claimed that party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had never assured the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government that it will support the current version of the Lokpal Bill.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath asserted, "Parties which attended the meeting agreed to pass Lokpal bill in Rajya Sabha tomorrow."

Sources said that the Rajya Sabha Chairman wants that Samajwadi Party should be collectively persuaded on the Bill. Ansari had called an-all party meet on Monday at 4 pm in an attempt to break the deadlock over the Lokpal Bill. The government said that all efforts are on to ensure the Lokpal Bill is passed in the current session of Parliament.