PM must come under Lokpal ambit, says Digvijay Singh
- 5 years ago
GUNA/NEW DELHI: Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Sunday created a flutter by endorsing civil society's demand to bring the prime minister and the higher judiciary under the ambit of Lokpal, taking the government and his party colleagues by surprise.
"My view is that the prime minister, judiciary, NGOs and industrial houses should also be brought under the ambit of Lokpal. But there should be a system to ensure that the Lokpal does not misuse its power," Singh said at his hometown Raghogarh on Sunday evening, according to agency reports.
"When I was the Madhya Pradesh chief minister, I had brought the CM's post under the purview of Lokayukta (ombudsman)," he said.
Although Singh appeared to be critical of the efforts of a few people to "exert pressure on the government" — seen by many as a reference to the campaign by Anna Hazare -- his statement that PM and higher judiciary should be within Lokpal's jurisdiction may embarrass the government.
The government has ruled out including PM and higher judiciary within the ambit of the anti-graft ombudsman and appears to be headed for a confrontation with civil society on the issue. According to agency reports, the Congress general secretary was harsh on Baba Ramdev, terming the yoga guru's nine-day fast a "nautanki" (drama). "If he had to continue his agitation then he should not have broken his fast. And if he had kept a fast for some demands then he should not have broken it without its fulfillment. It was all a nautanki," Singh said.
"Ramdev had done his work, now government agencies will do their work," he added. The former chief minister did not forget to
target the BJP for supporting the yoga guru. "The BJP which had supported Ramdev also did not get anything from it."
Singh also commented on social activist Anna Hazare on the occasion. "Anna Hazare should also not go on fast and participate constructively in the drafting committee of the Lokpal bill."
"My view is that the prime minister, judiciary, NGOs and industrial houses should also be brought under the ambit of Lokpal. But there should be a system to ensure that the Lokpal does not misuse its power," Singh said at his hometown Raghogarh on Sunday evening, according to agency reports.
"When I was the Madhya Pradesh chief minister, I had brought the CM's post under the purview of Lokayukta (ombudsman)," he said.
Although Singh appeared to be critical of the efforts of a few people to "exert pressure on the government" — seen by many as a reference to the campaign by Anna Hazare -- his statement that PM and higher judiciary should be within Lokpal's jurisdiction may embarrass the government.
The government has ruled out including PM and higher judiciary within the ambit of the anti-graft ombudsman and appears to be headed for a confrontation with civil society on the issue. According to agency reports, the Congress general secretary was harsh on Baba Ramdev, terming the yoga guru's nine-day fast a "nautanki" (drama). "If he had to continue his agitation then he should not have broken his fast. And if he had kept a fast for some demands then he should not have broken it without its fulfillment. It was all a nautanki," Singh said.
"Ramdev had done his work, now government agencies will do their work," he added. The former chief minister did not forget to
target the BJP for supporting the yoga guru. "The BJP which had supported Ramdev also did not get anything from it."
Singh also commented on social activist Anna Hazare on the occasion. "Anna Hazare should also not go on fast and participate constructively in the drafting committee of the Lokpal bill."