Team Anna writes to Singh: Honest PM need not be scared

Two days ahead of the next meeting of the Lokpal drafting committee,the civil society representatives raised the pitch for their demand.

Two days ahead of the next meeting of the Lokpal drafting committee,the civil society representatives on Monday raised the pitch for their demand to bring the Prime Minister within the ambit of the proposed office of Lokpal,saying the Constitution does not provide for any immunity to the Prime Minister from being investigated.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,the five non-government representatives on the joint committee to draft the Lokpal Bill said an honest Prime Minister like him need not be scared of being investigated by the Lokpal. As of today,the Prime Minister is covered under the Prevention of Corruption Act…. However,as of today,the investigations are done by CBI,which is directly under the control of the Prime Minister himself. The only change we are proposing in the present system is that rather than being investigated by an agency directly under his own control,let the Prime Minister be investigated by an agency which is independent,like the Lokpal, their letter to the Prime Minister said.

The five ministers,who are members of the drafting committee,unanimously feel that the Prime Minister should be kept out of Lokpals investigations. The Constitution of India does not grant any such immunity to the Prime Minister. So,in order to take the PM out of Lokpals ambit or even to take some part of his jurisdiction out of the ambit of Lokpals investigations,the government would need to amend the Constitution and the Prevention of Corruption Act and grant him immunity similar to that enjoyed by the President. Is the government planning to do that? Why? the civil society members asked.

Story continues below this ad

They also pointed out that three of the five ministers in the drafting committee,Pranab Mukherjee,P Chidambaram and M Veerappa Moily,have in the past,in various capacities,supported the idea of empowering Lokpal to investigate the PM.

Their joint letter to the PM comes a day after Anna Hazare had written to UPA president Sonia Gandhi complaining that leaders of the Congress party were conspiring to defame him. His comments found a strong reaction from the Congress on Monday.

On the one hand,he says people sell their votes for money and liquor and on the other he invokes the same peoples power to support his agitation. The biggest threat to democracy is from the tyranny of unelected dictators. The greatest peril the democracy faces is from the unelected and the unelectable, Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said.

Hazares colleagues,Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal,meanwhile,took on Mukherjee for his remarks that the anti-corruption movement was part of a sinister design to undermine democratically elected institutions. Everyone in this country knows how elections are won. The government cannot become dictator just because it has been elected for five years. This is the arrogance of power that is coming out in the form of such statements, Bhushan said.

Story continues below this ad

He also criticised Mukherjee for rejecting the demand to televise proceedings of the draft committee.

Tags:
Prime Minister

us india trade talks, us india trade negotiations, us india tariffs, us india trade relations, trump modi trade talks, india us commerce ministry, us tariffs on india, india exporters relief package, us india economic relations, india us trade barriers, us india trade deal, india us trade meeting, rajesh agarwal commerce ministry, india us trade dispute, india us bilateral trade

Trade talks ‘positive’, govt says will intensify efforts to close US deal early

Business8 hr ago

India and the US have resumed trade negotiations after the US imposed tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. The sixth round of talks will focus on recognising India's red lines and possibly increasing energy purchases from the US. Other topics include easing patent rules, data flows, and giving US firms procurement access.

View all shorts

Live Blog