208. Delhi Congress Questions Kejriwal’s Intention About Jan Lokpal Bill

Delhi sNovember 19, 2015

Tags: Ajay Maken, Congress, jan Lokpal Bill 2015, latest news in delhi

NEW DELHI, Nov. 19 : Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Maken said the Aam Aadmi Party Government should pass the same draft of the Jan Lokpal Bill, which was tabled in the Delhi Assembly on February 13, 2014, in the winter session without any dilution.  Maken said there was no clarity about the draft  Bill that was discussed in the Delhi Cabinet for tabling in the winter session, and the Congress party would not allow a watered down version of the Jan Lokpal Bill.

Addressing a press conference along with former DPCC president Arvinder Singh Lovely, former leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Haroon Yusuf, chief spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherjee and Chattar Singh at the DPCC office, Rajiv Bhawan, here today, Ajay Maken said if the Kejriwal Government’s intention was to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill, it would not have waited for nine months and six Assembly sessions, to take up the Jan Lokpal Bill issue.

Maken said there were different versions of the Lokpal mooted by Anna Hazare, Kejriwal and others, which varies from Lokpal, Jan Lokpal to Lokayukta, but the Congress Party wants the Jan Lokpal Bill on the pattern of the draft Bill tabled in the Delhi Assembly on February 13, 2014 by the Aam Aadmi Party Government without any changes. It may be recalled that the Congress-led UPA Government had passed the Lokpal Bill in Parliament on December 18, 2013.

Ajay Maken said there were reports that the Delhi Cabinet had approved the tabling of the Jan Lokpal Bill in the on-going winter session of the Assembly, but it was very surprising that the AAP Government has not yet specified which Lokpal Bill has been approved by the Delhi Cabinet, nor was there any Cabinet note on the matter. The Delhi Government has also not put the draft of the proposed Lokpal  in the public domain. Maken said the Kejriwal Cabinet took a hasty decision to table the Jan Lokpal Bill in the winter session following the massive demonstration held by the Congress party outside the Delhi Assembly yesterday, which has put pressure on the Kejriwal Government to act, though Kejriwal knows that technically, the Bill cannot be passed in the winter session.

Maken said according to Section 55 1A of the Transaction of Business Rules, before the Jan Lokpal Bill sent to the President of India for assent, it has to be sent to the Lt. Governor and the Union Home Ministry for approval, as the Jan Lokpal Bill also involves financial implication, and according to Section 55 1B, it is mandatory to get the approval of the Lt. Governor and the Home Ministry.

Maken said before any Bill is passed in the Delhi Assembly, there is a defined legal process, which is the same for all Delhi Governments, whether it was BJP, Congress or AAP. Maken asked whether Kejriwal wanted a different set of rules, bypassing the existing rules and regulations. Shri Maken said the AAP Government has been in power for nearly nine months, and why didn’t the Kejriwal Government  complete the formalities for passing the Jan Lokpal Bill? He said it clearly shows that Kejriwal’s intentions were suspect. Maken said Kejriwal was once again trying to mislead the people of Delhi by locking horns with the Central Government on the Jan Lokpal issue.  He said Kejriwal was trying to use the Jan Lokpal Bill like a football, as he has to follow the Transaction of Business rules, and it cannot come in the Winter Session without the sanction of the Lt. Governor.

Ajay Maken said according to the draft of the Jan Lokpal Bill tabled on the Delhi Assembly on February 13, 2014 the Jan Lokpal should consist of 7 to 11 members, but there is no indication how many members would be there in the Jan Lokpal. He said it was to be made like an umbrella organisation, consisting of Whistle Blower Protection Act, Public Grievances and Citizens Charter, public organisations, sports organisations and NGOs. Government employees were also to be brought under this Bill. Under this bill, there was also provision for life imprisonment. Ajay Maken wanted Kejriwal to clarify whether the above-mentioned provisions were in the present Jan Lokpal Bill.

Former DPCC president Arvinder Singh and Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Haroon Yusuf said the AAP Government was misleading the people of Delhi,  though the AAP came to power on the Jan Lokpal issue. They said the AAP Government was not keen on a strong Jan Lokpal Bill as it fears that if a strong Jan Lokpal Bill is passed, its own MLAs and Ministers would be caught in the net for corruption, and that was why Kejriwal was deliberately not following laid down procedures.