Lokpal bill raises storm in House, but PM is confident of its passage

The Lok Sabha started on a stormy note as the House took up the UPA government's Lokpal bill for consideration, with the Opposition demanding withdrawal of the ''deficient'' legislation, which the BJP said would do more harm than good to the country.

Moving the bill for consideration, minister for personnel V Narayanasamy, however, said he believed in the supremacy of Parliament. ''We need to bow our heads to this House only and not before anyone else.''

Appointing adoption of the Lokpal bill in its present form, BJP leader Sushma Swraj said the bill, which has provision for religion-based reservation, was ''patently unconstitutional,'' as it would ''sow the seeds of second partition.''

''I warn you that you should not sow the seeds of second partition by going in for religion-based reservation,'' she said, adding Prime Minister Manmohan Singh need not be told about the trauma and pain of such a tragedy.

Even as Swraj was speaking, RJD chief Lalu Prasad was on his feet claiming that the Lokpal bill was an attack on the federal structure of the Constitution.

Narayanasamy, who introduced the bill, referred to setting up of Lokayuktas and lack of anti-corruption ombudsman in Gujarat. He said the Lokpal and Lokayukta bill had several unique features such as confiscation of properties of any person believed to have committed an offence relating to corruption.