Thaindian News

New Delhi, Dec 26 (IANS) A day before parliament debates the Lokpal bill, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday accused the Congress of not wanting a strong anti-graft law, and said it will move amendments to the bill on key points of contention.

According to party sources, among the main amendments will be removal of reservation from the Lokpal, as announced by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj after the bill was introduced last Thursday.

The party will also move amendments against keeping formation of Lokayukta under the bill, calling it an attack on India’s federal structure.

Independence of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from government control and including it under the Lokpal is another amendment likely to be moved, said the party sources.

The BJP is also likely to pitch for an amendment for the clause in the bill which allows the Lok Sabha speaker or the Rajya Sabha chairman to act against parliament members on the basis of Lokpal report even before the trial finishes.

The prty has already issued a whip to its members and, according to the sources, it will press for moving first the constitutional amendment bill, introduced along with the Lokpal bill, to give the ombudsman a statutory status.

Party leaders accused the government of not being in favour of a strong Lokpal.

“The government takes two steps forward and four steps backwards, it does not want a strong Lokpal,” BJP spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said.

“Their intentions are wrong, they don’t want a strong and empowered Lokpal because there is dishonesty in both policy and intention of the Congress,” he said.

“They are afraid that the kind of policies they have…after a strong Lokpal comes, they will not be able to continue with it,” he added.

Another party leader, Balbir Punj said: “Government has tried to treat the institution of Lokpal as a kind of employment agency, giving reservation on the basis of caste and religion.”

He added that the Lokpal will be a “toothless tiger” without an independent investigative agency.

“I don’t know whether on this issue the government will have numbers in their favour, particularly in the Rajya Sabha,” he added.

The Lokpal bill, a constitution amendment bill to make it a statutory institution, and a bill for protection of whistle-blowers are to be taken up by parliament during the three-day extension of winter session of parliament, Dec 27-29.