Ravi Shankar Prasad to have a "look" at Lokpal law

Ravi Shankar Prasad today said he will have a "look" at the Lokpal Act in his new role as the Law Minister.

"I will also have a look at it in my new role as the Law Minister of India and surely I will revert to you," he told reporters here.

He was asked about the NDA's government's stand on Lokpal Act and whether it will have a relook at the issue.

Prasad said the Lokpal Bill was passed by Parliament after "finer" improvements by a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, BJP had said that the then UPA government stood isolated on the Lokpal issue as former judges have refused to serve on the search committee for the Lokpal. It had also said that the Congress-led UPA government had been unable to give credence to the Lokpal appointment.

The UPA government had in February this year hurriedly formed an eight-member search committee which was mandated to draw up a panel of persons for consideration by the Prime Minister-led Selection Committee for appointment of chairperson and members of the Lokpal.

Those were selected for the search panel included Justice (retd) K T Thomas (as chairperson) and seven members -- Kaki Madhava Rao (former IAS officer), FS Nariman (legal luminary), Prof Meenakshi Gopinath (educationist), M L Kumawat (former Director General of Border Security Force), H K Dua (senior journalist and Rajya Sabha member), S Y Quraishi (former Chief Election Commissioner) and Prof Mrinal Miri (Rajya Sabha member).

But, in a setback to the UPA government, Thomas and Nariman had refused to be part of the search panel.