NEW DELHI, Aug 4 � The much-debated Lokpal Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha today amid objections from the BJP and its NDA partners over exclusion of the Prime Minister from the purview of the proposed legislation, reports PTI.
Just before introduction of the bill, Speaker Meira Kumar gave permission to Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj to express her views as a special case under Rule 72.
Swaraj said when the Prime Minister does not enjoy immunity from prosecution under the criminal law and Prevention of Corruption Act, why is he being kept out of the ambit of the Lokpal.
She maintained that as per the Constitution, everybody was equal and there is no immunity from IPC, CrPC or the Prevention of Corruption Act.
�It is for the first time that under Clause 2 of the Lokpal Bill, all Union Ministers are included except the Prime Minister. I don�t understand why. How can anybody occupying any position be a holy cow. Why is the Prime Minister being kept out of its purview?� Swaraj posed.
She stated that then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had put the debate to rest during NDA rule by saying that if he is not under its purview it will have no meaning. She was referring to the Lokpal Bill proposed by the NDA government which was ultimately not introduced in Parliament.
�As chairperson of the then Standing Committee on Home, Pranab Mukherjee had accepted that the Prime Minister should be within the purview of the Lokpal. The Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) has himself said he wants to be within its ambit. Why is the Cabinet not paying heed to his views?� she asked.
Swaraj said the BJP had several objections to the proposed Bill but would, for the moment, confine herself to only the exclusion of PM.
�We will object to introduction of the Lokpal Bill,� she said.
NDA Convenor and JD-U President Sharad Yadav stood up to say something but the Speaker did not permit him as he had not given a prior notice.
Minister of State in PMO V Narayanasamy, who introduced the bill, said the Prime Minister had offered to be within the purview of the Lokpal but the Cabinet did not agree.
�Ultimately this bill will go to the Standing Committee. Your objection cannot be sustained,� he told the Opposition benches.
Mukherjee told the House that Swaraj�s contention that he gave his nod to the NDA Lokpal Bill is true.
�On February 16, 2002 as Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Home, I had placed that bill on the table of the House. NDA had two full years after that. Why did they not bring the bill,� Mukherjee said.
When Narayanasamy introduced the Bill, the BJP and NDA members objected to it.
