In a statement here, Hooda said the repeal of the Act made it clear that Chautala was not interested in ending "corruption in the politics", alleging that the latter had shown his total ``disregard'' for the august institution of legislature by summarily repealing the Act without adopting the democratic methods of getting the approval of two-third majority of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha. He pooh-poohed the logic put forward by Chautala for the repeal of the original Act.

In response, Chautala ridiculed the Congress leader for issuing irresponsible statements since the people had already rejected their party in the recently held Lok Sabha elections. He said Hooda did not seem to know the views of the legislators of his own party, who had submitted a memorandum to Governor Mahabir Prasad on April 9, 1997, criticising the Haryana Lok Pal Bill.

He said the memorandum had mentioned that the Congress Legislature Party was of the unanimous opinion that Haryana Lok Pal was an exercise aimed at appointing a pocket-borough Lok Pal for persecution of political opponents by ruling HVP headed by Bansi Lal. "Provision of Bill and tenor of discussion left us with an unmistakable impression that various clauses of the Bill have been drafted with a view to meticulously persecute leaders of Opposition."

The CM said it was astonishing that Hooda was now criticising the state government for repealing the Act. "It appears that former Chief Minister Bansi Lal and the Congress are hand-in-glove. The Congress should not maintain double-standards and criticise the fair decisions of the government by issuing irresponsible statements," he observed, claiming that the Act had been repealed in greater public interest and not because of any political motive.

Chautala alleged that the then CM Bansi Lal had said on the floor of the House that this bill would be effective from the date of constitution of Haryana, November 1, 1966, but he twisted it in his favour, excluding the tenure of his own governance of the state by reducing the period in the Bill from 20 to 10 years. Meanwhile, the state government yesterday constituted an expert committee headed by Justice (retd) G.S. Chahal, a former judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court, to suggest suitable provisions to make the institution of Lokayukta sound.

The other members of the committee include Advocate General and Chief Secretary, Haryana.