Public consultation necessary for laws to become successful: Pranab Mukherjee

Former President Pranab Mukherjee said on Sunday that public consultation is necessary for laws to become successful and drafting of legislations cannot be left only to elected representatives.

He made the remarks at an event organized to confer Paulos Mar Greharious Award, 2019 on socio-political activist Aruna Roy, for her contribution to the right to information campaign.

The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019, that proposes to empower the Centre to set the salaries and service conditions of information commissioners at central and state levels.

The government's move had triggered protests from the opposition and RTI activists, who alleged that the Bill sought to undermine the authority of the information commissions.

Mukherjee said during the UPA government's tenure, at a press conference in a foreign country, he was asked about his negotiations with a "group of people" on a draft bill.

The question was, he recalled, "In a parliamentary democracy, legislation is the domain of members of Parliament and assemblies... exclusive jurisdiction. How can you negotiate legislation with a group of people who are not members of Parliament or state legislatures? They decided to fight for a cause and drafted the Lokpal Bill and you discussed with them for days together."