New Delhi, Sept. 8: A day after refusing to vacate the room in Parliament allotted to Trinamul Congress, RJD chief Lalu Prasad today literally forced railway minister Dinesh Trivedi to pay compensation to the family members of those killed in an accident at an unmanned railway crossing in his constituency.

With Lalu hissing down his neck, Trivedi agreed railways would pay a compensation of Rs 1 lakh each to the family members of seven persons killed when a train ran over an autorickshaw at an unmanned railway crossing in Sonepur division of East Central Railway last Friday.

Lalu today tried to raise the matter during Zero Hour but was unsuccessful as Lok Sabha was adjourned because of din over cash for votes probe. Unwilling to budge, Lalu then took up the matter with Trivedi, who was present in the House and got him to agree to pay compensation to family members of the victims.

“I met the railway minister and demanded a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each. He, however, agreed for Rs 1 lakh and asked me to announce it on his behalf,” Lalu told reporters, sitting in room 129, which has been allotted to Trinamul Congress.

Railway is not bound to pay compensation for accidents at unmanned crossings. But the minister has the prerogative and Lalu today got Trivedi to use it.

Recently, when the Prime Minister was in-charge of railways after Mamata Banerjee resigned, he too used the prerogative to announce compensation for a similar incident in Uttar Pradesh where over 30 persons were killed when a bus was hit by a train.

The compensation could not change Lalu’s stand on the room issue, though. A defiant Lalu said: “I have taken up the matter with the Speaker. She will resolve the issue.”

Asked if he would vacate the room, Lalu ruled it out.

“Abhi to yahan baithe hain (I am sitting in the room right now),” he said.

Trinamul MPs said Speaker has assured them of settling the matter during the winter session. One Trinamul MP pointed how Lalu nudged Trivedi to agree for the compensation reminding how he had stood in Parliament’s corridor and backed the railway minister when his room was taken over by the Congress’s Ambika Soni.

“What a politician he is. He has captured our room and over it he compelled Dinesh Trivedi to agree for the compensation”, an MP said.