The BJP on Saturday slammed the government for hesitating to bring the Prime Minister within the ambit of the Lokpal when Manmohan Singh himself had agreed that the post could be included.
“Normally the Prime Minister [Dr. Singh] will not speak. When he says his post too can be brought under the Lokpal, you [the Congress] are not listening to him,” charged Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj. “You are not listening to what he [the Prime Minister] wants,” she said, looking at the treasury benches, during the debate on the Lokpal vis-à-vis Anna Hazare's demands.
The post of Prime Minister could be included with some exceptions — subjects of national security should not be inquired into.
“CBI being misused”
Alleging that the government was misusing the Central Bureau Investigation to intimidate Opposition leaders and file false cases against them, Ms. Swaraj said it had turned the CBI into a “Congress Bachao Initiative.”
On the filing of a case against YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, who had rebelled against the parent party, she said: “If you are with the Congress you are a pious person. If you quit the party you are corrupt.” The government had not left out even the deceased (by including Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's name in the FIR against Mr. Jagan), she said.
In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley urged the government to show resilience to resolve the “issues confronting us.” The maturity of parliamentarians was on trial because the public were clearly not ready to accept status quo on corruption as a way of life.
Advising colleagues not to get agitated by the “not-so-complimentary” statements against politicians, he said “our actions will be the best response.”
Speaking on “specifics,” Mr. Jaitley found merit in the three contentious issues raised by Mr. Hazare — covering the entire bureaucracy under the Lokpal, a citizens' charter for redress of public grievances and the setting up of Lokayuktas in States. The Prime Minister should be brought under the Lokpal by exempting certain areas like national security, and not after he/she demitted office as had been provided in the government's Lokpal Bill.
Mr. Jaitley, however, disagreed with the provision in the Jan Lokpal Bill for tapping phone calls ‘for evidence of bribery'. “The only discordant note is the authority to keep tapping phones. Are we going to create an institution entitled to tap phones of the Prime Minister, Ministers and senior bureaucracy? The Supreme Court has said phone tapping can be done to the extent that involves the national security. [Therefore] this power has to be exercised with great caution … we cannot make a virtue of this.”
On whether there could be a central law for Lokayuktas in the States, he said there could be enabling laws. While there was merit in this, Lokayuktas should not be appointed by the Centre.
Speaking in his “personal capacity,” Minister Ashwani Kumar (Congress) said emotions should not get the better of judgment and attempts should be made to “find a balance” in the fight against corruption. “By all means have a strong Lokpal Bill, but let us not rush into lawmaking without applying our mind.”
He said the Prime Minister was first among equals and could not be subjected to vicious, mala fide complaints. It would be a “folly” to change the federal structure of governance by setting up Lokayuktas through the Lokpal Bill.
Earlier, Sandeep Dikshit (Congress) criticised in the Lok Sabha Team Anna's “adamant” attitude that only its Bill should be considered by Parliament.
He said laws were subject to amendments. Even Anna's Bill was amended 12 times while drafting. “It is not sacrosanct.”
“It is not that their Bill is perfect and it has to be accepted by Parliament.” Parliament was supreme and the rights of its members should be protected, Mr. Dikshit said.
