New Delhi: RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday opposed the government's policy of giving free accommodation to President and Vice-President after their retirement.
"Candidates for President and Vice-President should give the undertaking that after retirement they would not claim free accommodation anywhere in the country," Lalu told reporters outside Parliament.
"We are following a wrong precedence...The public should not bear the burden of providing accommodation to President and Vice-President after their retirement...Ours is a poor country. We have not been able to provide even slum houses to poor people," he said.
Currently, President and Vice-President get free accommodation post retirement. Now there is a demand for providing free accommodation to Speaker also as retirement benefit.
Lalu said if President, Vice-President, Speaker want free accommodation, "then chief justices and judges of Supreme Court and High Court should also be given the facility after their retirement. Ex-MPs should also be given free housing facilities".
"RJD demands that candidates for President, Vice-President and Speaker posts should give declaration before filing nominations that they do not want free accommodation after retirement," the former Bihar chief minister said.
On presidential candidate, Lalu said his party has made it clear that Hamid Ansari should be made President.
"He is the most deserving candidate for President," he said.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, May 02, 2012, 18:00