Rahul leads Cong push for lokpal bill 1

Sunday, 15/12/2013

http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi on Saturday appealed to all political parties to set aside their “little differences” and ensure the passage in Parliament of the lokpal bill, a “very, very powerful instrument” in the fight against corruption.

SANJEEV VERMA /HT Rahul Gandhi and P Chidambaram at a press conference on Saturday. “We’re at the finishing line… 99% there and need that 1% movement by all parties to cross that line,” Gandhi said.

The bill — which seeks to set up a watchdog that investigates corruption charges against government servants — is up for debate in Rajya Sabha on Monday, after an attempt on Friday was thwarted by MPs of the Samajwadi Party, an ally of the Congress.

As the Congress vice-president sought to take the lead in the fight against corruption, leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley retorted, “The gover nment seems to have changed its heart again on the lokpal bill.... It should have ideally been passed in Rajya Sabha yesterday. We reiterate our stand that it should be discussed and passed on Monday. If the Congress and its allies do not allow the House to function, then we are ready to pass it without a debate.”

Gandhi’s appeal comes in the backdrop of introspection within his party on ways to revive itself following its humiliating performance in four key states, including Delhi where it was thrown out of power after 15 years, and the dream debut of the Aam Aadmi Party, with its anti-corruption plank.

Gandhi, however, dismissed any such connection. “That’s a bit unfair… It’s not a matter of defeat or victory. This is something we have been struggling for for a while,” he told a special news conference at the party headquarters.

The big push is also being seen as an attempt by the Congress to shed its indecisive tag and go one up on its rivals, especially with general elections months away.

While the BJP is more or less in agreement on the lokpal bill, save for a few clauses, the SP claims the legislation will lead to police raj where the lokpal will dictate terms.

“We are at the finishing line… 99% there and need that 1% movement by all political parties to cross that line. We need the BJP and others to work with us,” Gandhi said, flanked by union ministers P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal and V Narayanasamy. He hastened to add that the lokpal bill wasn’t the solution to all problems. “It’s a big step and an important part of a framework to fight cor ruption… RTI ( right to information) was the single biggest step and much bigger than lokpal.”

Asked if the bill was being brought because of Anna Hazare’s fast, he said, “It is his perspective… The government’s job to give a strong lokpal bill.”

In 2011, during the peak of Hazare’s fast unto death for a strong lokpal bill, Gandhi had demanded constitutional status for the anti-corruption body.

The bill was passed by Lok Sabha subsequently but a parallel constitutional amendment motion by the government was defeated.

Pointing out that the recommendations of the select committee, which studied the bill passed by Lok Sabha earlier, were adequate, Jaitley insisted that the BJP would not agree to two clauses: “The government can’t have the right to transfer a CBI officer who is still probing a case referred to the agency by the lokpal.

Secondly, it should be up to the lokpal to decide if an officer being investigated for corruption or having disproportionate assets should be given a hearing before or after the search and seizure.”

Chidambaram, however, said the re-drafted bill reflected all that the nation had debated over the past many years.