Thaindian News

Lucknow, Aug 26 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Friday demanded suitable representation of Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes in the Lokpal Bill drafting committee and in the proposed setup of the ombudsman to check corruption.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will not compromise on the issue of appropriate representation of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC), Mayawati told reporters here.

Mayawati emphasized that any bill or institution not fulfilling the constitutional provisions will not get support of the BSP in parliament.

She advised activist Anna Hazare who has been fighting for a strong anti-corruption bill to “contest the next Lok Sabha elections in 2014 so that they can form their own government and place the Lokpal of their choice”.

“We believe the bill (Lokpal) must be formally passed and adopted by parliament,” she added.

Earlier, Mayawati had issued a statement in support of anti-corruption issues raised by Hazare and his team.

Accusing the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of playing a “cat and mouse” game over the Lokpal issue, Mayawati said, “It is absolutely wrong to be playing politics over an important issue like a Lokpal”.

“As our party’s stand on the issue of corruption is concerned, I had said it earlier that we are in support of anyone who believes in combating corruption. But I wish to emphasise whatever law is adopted, to do so it should not be at the cost of the Indian Constitution that has been written by B.R. Ambedkar,” said Mayawati.

“Let me also point out that in Uttar Pradesh we have already introduced a public service law, which is quite on the lines of the citizens’ charter now being demanded by the team Anna,” she added.

Under the law, the Mayawati government has laid down a stipulated time for every service provided by the government, and in case of delay there are provisions of penalty on the officials concerned.

On the issue of Lokayukta in the state, Mayawati pointed out that the institution was already functioning in an efficient manner.

“The fact that UP Lokayukta recommendations for removal of a minister accused of indulging in large scale corruption was readily accepted by our government, and the minister sacked, clearly reflects that the institution is serving the objective. Therefore, there is no need for the central government to impose a new kind of Lokayukta in Uttar Pradesh,” said Mayawati.