PM no to demand for bringing CBI under Lok Pal purview

Pushing for passage of the Lok Pal Bill in the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today rejected demands for bringing CBI under the purview of the anti-graft ombudsman, warning that no entity should be created inconsistent with the country's Constitutional framework.

Intervening in the debate on Lok Pal and Lokayukta Bill, Singh dismissed opposition to the provision on setting up of Lokayuktas in states, saying federalism cannot be an impediment in the war against corruption as essential services in the states are the "bane" of corrupt practices.

"There are some very special moments in the life of a nation. This is one such moment. The nation awaits with bated breath how the collective wisdom of this House will be reflected in the vote at the end of the debate on the Lok Pal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011," he said.

Noting that the broad provisions of this Bill have been vigorously debated both in the public domain and by political parties, Singh said it was his "honest belief" that the Bill before the House lived up to the promise that members collectively made to the people by way of the sense of the House at the end of the debate on August 27.

Speaking amidst animated debate that coincided with Anna Hazare's hunger strike in Mumbai, Singh underlined that the task of legislation was "very serious business and must eventually be performed by all of us who have been constitutionally assigned this duty."

He said "others can persuade and have their voices heard. But the decision must rest with us."

Rejecting demands for bringing CBI under the purview of Lok Pal, he said, "I believe that the CBI should function independently of the Lok Pal. We believe that the CBI should function without interference through any Government diktat."