Jitin Prasad attacks Modi govt over delay in Lokpal appointment

Former Congress Minister Jitin Prasad has attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the delay in the appointment of the Lokpal, the anti-corruption ombudsman.

Speaking to reporters, the former Union Minister accused Modi of failing to fulfil promises made by him prior to the 2014 polls and termed the BJP government's foreign policy an "utter failure".

Virtually four and a half years have passed but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not fulfilled his commitment of appointing a Lokpal immediately after the formation of his govt, Prasad said on Thursday evening.

The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, which envisages establishment of anti-graft body Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states to look into cases of corruption against certain categories of public servants, was passed in 2013 by the UPA government at the Centre, Prasad stressed.

It is pity that the apex court had to intervene, Prasad said reacting to the Supreme Court expressing its dissatisfaction over Modi government's response on the appointment of search committee members for the Lokpal. The apex court asked the Centre to file a fresh affidavit giving relevant details of the search committee.

Prasad accused Modi government of making no efforts to ensure the passage of Women's Reservation Bill, cleaning of river Ganges, employment to youth etc.

The Congress leader said he agreed with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray that people of the country were feeling cheated after voting BJP to power and added that not a single promise made by Modi was fulfilled and none of the schemes launched by him were successful.

He also termed the Central government's foreign policy an "utter failure and demanded that the money spent on Modi's foreign trips be revealed.

"If we compare the money spent on foreign trips of Prime Minister and the gains made, we find only disappointment and no investment, no new industry established and no jobs to unemployed youths," he said.

The govt should reveal the investments it attracted, new industries that were established, the number of youths who got jobs and how the relations with neighboring countries improved owing to the foreign trips of the Prime Minister, Prasad said.

I am sure, not a single achievement would be disclosed, he added.

He further took on the Centre on the issue of EVMs and stressed that there was lack of "transparency" in the way elections were being conducted under the current regime.

The question is not of conducting elections with EVMs or ballot system, "transparency" is the basic requirement, he said, adding that the way VVPAT of hundreds of EVMs were found to be non-functional in the recent bypolls, exposes non-transparency of the government.

On conditional approval of Appropriation bill of Puducherry by Governor Kiran Bedi, he alleged that she was working for a party vishesh (particular party).

Earlier, Prasad visited Dwarka Sharda Peethadhishwar and Jyoitsh Peethadhishwar Jagadguru Shankarachaya Swaroopanand Saraswati along with former leader of UP Congress Pradeep Mathur.

Shankaracharya was pained with the increase in export of beef during Modi regime, Mathur, seated alongside Prasad claimed.

According to Mathur, Shankaracharya criticised Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for equating Modi to Mahatma Gandhi.

He (Shankaracharya) said while Gandhi spent his life wearing one piece of cloth every day, Modi changes his attire four times daily, Mathur claimed.