Lokpal Bill in Parliament: BJP, BSP, CPI unhappy

With Lok Sabha taking up the Lokpal Bill for debate, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said it will press for amendments and support parties seeking changes in the proposed legislation if there is common ground.

Terming the Lokpal Bill introduced in Lok Sabha on December 22 as "a weak bill", BJP's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha S S Ahluwalia said the party supports "a strong Lokpal Bill" and for an improved version of it, the party has moved certain amendments.

"While initiating the debate, Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj will elaborately discuss the amendments and then during the day, before conclusion of the debate, we will take a final call. If we find that amendments moved by other parties or members are in common with those moved by BJP, we will support them," Ahluwalia told reporters after the BJP parliamentary party meeting.

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The meeting chaired by BJP parliamentary party chairman L K Advani was also attended by Sushma Swaraj and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley.

Sticking to its stand, the Bahujan Samaj Party said group C and D employees should be under the ambit of the Lokpal Bill.

"There is no change in our stand on the Lokpal Bill. The class C and D were taken out from the Bill and put in the CVC. We are not agreeing to it. It should be within the Lokpal ambit," BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra told reporters outside Parliament House.

The BSP is also opposed to the Bill's provisions on the Central Bureau of Investigation and Lokayukta.

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"The CBI was not made independent in the proposed Bill. It is still under the government," he said.

On amendments, he said, "There are so many amendments already being moved, we will see. But we have made our stand very clear on these vital issues."

The Communist Party of India said the Lokpal Bill in the present form was not "adequately strong" and it has decided to move a few amendments to strengthen it.

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"The Lokpal Bill in the present form is not to our satisfaction. It is not adequately strong. That is why we, along with other Left parties, are moving amendments to strengthen the Bill," CPI leader D Raja told reporters outside Parliament House.

Raja said, "There are a few significant amendments primarily related to the CBI and one is also Lokauykta. Our stand is that nothing should be done to undermine the federal structure of the government. Nothing should be done to encroach upon state's power."

On CBI, he said, "We are for the CBI to be free from political interference and government control. At the same time, CBI as an investigating agency should be made accountable to some authority."

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