Congress backs Jan Lokpal Bill if constitutionally passed

However, Lovely says it will not backtrack from stepping on to the street with matters related to AAP leader Somnath Bharti

Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely Friday said the Jan Lokpal bill will be fully supported by his party if passed in accordance with the constitution.

"I have written to Arvind Kejriwal specifying that the Congress has supported the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on its 18-point agenda, which includes the Jan Lokpal bill, and continues to do so. We have no doubt about that," Lovely told media persons here.

"If he wants to make it a law, instead of a political agenda, it should be in accordance with the constitution. We will then wholeheartedly support it," Lovely said.

He said the Jan Lokpal bill was not on the house's agenda Thursday.

Refuting Kejriwal's claim that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress are united, Lovely said the parties can never compromise owing to ideological differences.

"If that had been the case, the chief minister would not have been the chief minister today. His being at the post is enough evidence to prove that the parties are not one," he said.

Lovely also said that though the Congress supports the AAP on the Jan Lokpal bill, it will not backtrack from stepping on to the street with matters related to AAP leader and Law Minister Somnath Bharti.

"How can a party fight corruption when it is unwilling to take action against a corrupt leader," said Lovely, adding that the issue is a "sensitive one".

Congress leader Haroon Yusuf said since the upcoming Lok Sabha elections are looming on the AAP's mind, the party is not following constitutional procedures.

"The way the bill is being bulldozed, it looks like Kejriwal and his government are in a hurry to give out the message that they were fighting corruption and no one was supporting them," he said.