Thaindian News

Ghaziabad, Dec 22 (IANS) The government’s Lokpal bill is “very dangerous” as it will make the ombudsman a puppet in the hands of the government, Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said here Thursday while rejecting it and asking the government to redraft the legislation.

“It (Lokpal) is a very dangerous bill…The removal, suspension and selection of the Lokpal will be decided by the government,” Kejriwal said addressing a press conference here.

“We reject the Lokpal bill and demand the entire bill is taken back and redrafted in the right manner. Those who drafted the bill seem to be either incompetent in law or want to promote corruption through the Lokpal bill,” he said.

The bill aimed at crushing the rights of people, Kejriwal said.

“Through this bill, the government wants to act like a big brother. While 90 percent of the politicians are out of the ambit of the Lokpal, temples, churches, schools and other public institutions are under the ambit of this dangerous Lokpal,” he said.

“Even doctors and priests will be deemed to be public servants. The government considers that all the citizens are corrupt but the leaders and (its) employees are clean,” he said.

Kejriwal said this Lokpal was the handmaiden of the government.

He expressed fear over the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) being rendered ineffective if the government’s Lokpal bill was passed in parliament.

“Through this bill, the CBI will be made ineffective as its right of preliminary inquiry will be snatched,” said the activist.