Govt should get Lokpal bill passed with amendments: BJP

Expressing full support to the Lokpal issue, BJP today dared the government to bring the bill with amendments unanimously adopted by the Rajya Sabha Select Committee and get it passed in the ongoing winter session of Parliament.

In a press conference in Parliament House, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley alleged that the government does not want to pass important bills like the one on Lokpal and formation of Telangana.

BJP said just as the government got the supplementary demands for grants (general) and (Railways) passed in the din, it should get the Lokpal Bill passed too as it has been debated for last 46 years and also cleared by the RS Select Committee.

"The Lokpal Bill was sent to a Select Committee of Rajya Sabha. The Committee, which was headed by a Congress member, Satyavrat Chaturvedi, held several sittings and all political parties were privy to it. There were 13 unanimous recommendations adopted by the Committee.

"Government should bring the bill with these amendments and BJP will support it along with the UPA. The Rajya Sabha can pass it tomorrow and it can be passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday," Jaitley said.

Opposition pressure on the Lokpal Bill comes against the backdrop of the ongoing fast by Anna Hazare to press for passage of the legislation and the impressive performance of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Delhi elections. The Lokpal movement had led to the formation of AAP.

Alleging that the "bonafides" of the government on this issue are suspect, BJP said the Select Committee had submitted its report on December 23, 2012 but the Manmohan Singh dispensation had still not brought the Lokpal Bill.

The main Opposition also emphasised that the Select Committee report is a property of the Upper House and the Union Cabinet does not have any right to amend it.