PM should have limited immunity under Lok Pal, says Jaitley

Accusing the Union government of bribery during the 2008 vote of confidence, corruption in 2G spectrum allocation scam and Commonwealth Games, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded that the Prime Minister should get limited immunity under the Lok Pal, as suggested by the NDA government in 2001.

A day after the all party meeting on the draft Lok Pal Bill, the BJP, along with other NDA allies, said the present draft prepared by the Union ministers needs a complete overhaul as it not only gives complete immunity to Prime Minister but the entire selection, appointment and removal of the Lok Pal is dominated by the government. They said acting against an “inconvenient” Lok Pal is also in the hands of the government.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley has written in an article that the Lok Pal Bill of 2001 prepared by the NDA government had granted only limited immunity to Prime Minister in matters related to national security and maintenance of public order.

On the issue of including the higher judiciary under Lok Pal, senior leaders of the BJP suggested setting up of a National Judicial Commission.