Vested interests trying to discredit Lokpal bill, says member

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Lokpal Bill joint draft committee member Arvind Kejriwal today alleged that vested interests seemed to have ganged up to discredit the proposed legislation by unleashing a sustained campaign to spread misconceptions and falsehood.

He said vested interests first made an attack on the individual members of the committee and now they are attacking the bill per se questioning the provisions of the bill by spreading wrong information about it.

"You would see various articles in various media questioning the bill and presenting the facts in a manner which the bill does not talk of", Kejriwal told a press meet at Indian Institute of Management Bangalore after civil society members in the committee, along with social activists Kiran Bedi and Swami Agnivesh, had an interactive session.

He said there is a sustained effort to discredit the whole exercise, citing instances of it being projected as "cure (Lokpal bill) is worse than the disease (corruption)", as a "threat to democracy" and that it (Lokpal) would become a "Frankenstein".

Vested intersts are spreading misconceptions all across the country, Kejriwal alleged.

Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde, a member of the committee, saw no difficulty in the passage of the Lokpal bill in Parliament, indicating that political parties would be forced to take a position on it.

Hegde, a former Supreme Court judge, pointed out if any political party opposes the bill, it would be seen as one which is 'for corruption'.

Bedi, a former IPS officer, contended that with India ratifying the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), international pressure -- in addition to the one by the civil society -- would mount on the country to have an independent anti-corruption authority (Lokpal).

According to her, India did not have local laws in consonance with the UNCAC.

"India does not have a choice (now but to have Lokpal). International body (UNCAC) is looking at us (as to) when do we implement", she said. "UNCAC provides for independent anti-corruption authority in the country. Lokpal bill will provide for that. It (UNCAC) provides for all that Jan Lokpal Bill is asking".

Responding to questions on blackmoney stashed away in tax havens abroad by Indians, particularly Swiss banks, Hegde accused the Union Government of dragging its feet vis-a-vis legislative action to confiscate and recover such money.

"There is a need for change of laws because similar laws should be there in both countries (India and Switzerland or other countries offering tax havens). Why is the Government not doing it ?", Hegde asked.

Hegde said in October 2008,the Swiss government notified the countries including India, Russia and China, about their citizens having money in Swiss banks, with Indians topping the list with USD 1456 billion in accounts there.

"But in two years, no legislative steps have been taken at all", he said. "Every time, the issue comes, they (the Union Government) say we are consulting lawyers".

He added that it does not take more than two months to frame legislations compatible with Swiss laws.

Kejriwal said there is a suggestion in the proposed bill to empower Lokpal to investigate the money trail if a corruption case taken up for investigation by Lokpal leads to uncovering of money stashed away abroad.

Kejriwal said in the public consultations held in different places by civil society members of the joint committee, there is a consensus to bring Prime Minister and Judiciary under the ambit of Lokpal.

He also said drafting of the proposed Lokpal bill is 'actually slow' and 'we are all concerned', adding, member of the committee Shanti Bhushan has, in fact, written a letter to the panel Chairman and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee contending that day-to-day meetings are necessary.