Passing the Lokpal Bill set to be an uphill task

New Delhi: With so many political parties finding faults with several provisions of the Lokpal Bill, passing the anti-corruption legislation is going to be a mammoth task. The latest announcement by BJP says that it plans to introduce amendments to the bill when it is introduced in Parliament on Monday afternoon for debate.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) have voiced their opposition to several features of the proposed draft - such as the proposal to include Prime Minister under the Lokpal’s ambit and the wide policing powers the bill aims to accord to the Citizens’ Ombudsman’s office.

The Shiv Sena, meanwhile, has questioned the need to have a Lokpal itself. Party chief Bal Thackeray said last week that the Lokpal Bill could create a Gaddafi in country.

Meanwhile, the Left Front wants the Lokpal to have a separate investigation wing. It has also decided to ask for a broadbased selection panel for the Lokpal.

Section 24 is another bone of contention with most of the parties including the BJP, the RJD, the JDU and even the Congress planning to oppose it.

The said clause allows the Speaker and the Rajya Sabha Chairman to act against a Member of Parliament (MP) on the basis of the Lokpal report even before the trial is over.

With so many players in the scene, it would be interesting to see the final form the proposed anti-corruption bill would take.

Posted in: Politics