High-voltage drama over Lokpal bill
The much-talked about and the most controversial legislation in recent times, the Lokpal Bill, was re-introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, but not before a high-voltage drama, which was enacted till the last minutes of its introduction. The bone of contention remained around inclusion of a provision to provide reservation to the minorities on the Lokpal panel.
Initially in the Cabinet-approved bill, there was provision to provide reservations to STs/SCs/OBCs, minorities and women. But later on Wednesday night it was realised that the Constitution does not provide for giving reservation on religious grounds and it was decided to delete the proviso in the bill.
As the media widely reported about the omission, most of the non-BJP political parties raised banner against the government’s revised move. When the bill was circulated among MPs at 2 pm, it did not have provision for minority revision. This led to a ruckus in the House forcing the chair to adjourn the House till 3.30 pm.
Later, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh invited the leaders of non-BJP political parties for a meeting and asked them give suggestions for a way forward. JD(U) president Sharad Yadav is learnt to have suggested that the minorities can be taken on Lokpal panel as part of the OBC quota. Then the Prime Minister held meeting with senior party colleagues, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Following this it was decided to circulate a corrigenda to incorporate provision for minority quota on the nine-member Lokpal panel and ensure smooth introduction of the bill. Senior BJP member Yashwant Sinha, however, vehemently contested the government’s move to circulate the corrigenda. He claimed that this government has “shown monumental inefficiency” in dealing with this bill.
As per the provisions of constitutional bodies like Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayukta in the states will be created by the bill. The bill makes it mandatory for the states to accept the central law, which will mean that the proposed law will replace the existing Lokayukta laws in respective states. The chairman and eight other members of the Lokpal will be selected by a panel consisting of Prime Minister, Speaker, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Chief Justice or a sitting judge nominated by the top court and an eminent jurist nominated by the President.
So far as the jurisdiction of the Lokpal is concerned, the Bill brings Prime Minister under its ambit with some exclusions, as the proposed ombudsman cannot hold any inquiry against the Prime Minister if allegations relate to international relations, external and internal security of the country, public order, atomic energy and space.
Post new comment