BJP wants PM, CBI, lower bureaucracy under Lokpal
December 11th, 2011 - 3:47 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) The BJP Sunday accused a parliamentary panel of “breaking the promise” of bringing a strong anti-graft Lokpal law and demanded that the prime minister, the CBI and the lower bureaucracy be brought under the purview of a proposed ombudsman.
“We demand everybody who is in the government should come under the purview of Lokpal. We oppose the prime minister’s non-inclusion in the Lokpal bill,” Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was addressing a debate on the proposed Lokpal bill organised by Anna Hazare’s team on the sidelines of the social activist’s daylong hunger strike.
Hazare is on daylong token fast at Jantar Mantar, pressing for a strong anti-graft Lokpal bill that would bring the prime minister, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and lower bureaucracy completely under its ambit.
Jaitley almost sided with Hazare’s demands and said having the prime minister accountable to the Lokpal after he or she leaves office was “not acceptable”.
The parliamentary standing committee tabled its report on the Lokpal bill, recommending constitutional status for the ombudsman but leaving undecided the issue of prime minister’s inclusion in its purview.
Jaitley said the nation needed a strong Lokpal to curb the roots of corruption in India and accused the parliamentary panel of not including the sense of parliament as recorded in a resolution passed during Hazare’s August hunger strike.
“The very basic principles of having a strong Lokpal should bot be tampered with. Including lower bureaucracy and citizens’ charter in Lokpal was the sense of the house. We can differ on mechanism but not on the basic principle,” he said.
“It is breaking the promise you had given to the nation, to parliament,” he said, adding the selection of top CBI officials should also be left with the Lokpal.
The BJP leader however differed with Team Anna’s proposal of having judiciary under the purview of Lokpal and instead backed the creation of a national judicial commission.
- Anna gets Left, right support for strong Lokpal (Roundup) - Dec 11, 2011
- Lokpal panel still divided on inclusion of PM (Lead) - Nov 30, 2011
- Government plans Lokpal bill in winter session; Anna threatens agitation - Dec 15, 2011
- Lokpal panel still divided on inclusion of PM (Second Lead) - Nov 30, 2011
- Lokpal bill with PM in but CBI out approved, Hazare furious (Roundup) - Dec 21, 2011
- 'PM, Group C employees may be brought under Lokpal ambit' - Dec 12, 2011
- Lokpal bill approved; PM in, CBI, lower bureaucracy out (Second Lead) - Dec 21, 2011
- Aamir is backing Jan Lokpal bill: Team Anna - Jul 20, 2011
- Who is Anna? Parliament is supreme: Paswan - Dec 30, 2011
- Anna gets MCD nod for another hunger strike - Nov 27, 2011
- Team Anna reject Lokpal panel's recommendations - Dec 07, 2011
- Lokpal bill in parliament Thursday, Sonia says she will fight for it (Roundup) - Dec 21, 2011
- Will agitate again if bill not passed: Anna Hazare - Dec 13, 2011
- Plea in apex court to restrain Hazare from fasting - Aug 01, 2011
- Cabinet to discuss Lokpal bill Tuesday, Hazare calls it worthless (Roundup) - Dec 19, 2011
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