<p>The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the Union government for “dragging its feet” over putting in place the Lokpal. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The court also cautioned the Centre that it would not allow the whole exercise of passing the law on the ombudsman to become “redundant”. A three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice T S Thakur expressed displeasure after being informed that the NDA government failed to bring in an amendment to the Lokpal act to grant recognition to the leader of the largest Opposition party as Leader of Opposition (LoP).<br /><br />“Today, there is no Leader of Opposition, will it continue for five years? Will you allow the law to be redundant? Lokpal, which is supposed to bring in probity in public life, should be in place. We will not allow the law to be redundant,” the bench told Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi.<br /><br />To this, Rohatgi said there should not be an assumption that Parliament will not amend the law as the process was already on. “The law was notified in January 2014... you (government) are always interested in cleansing the system... why do you show that the government is dragging its feet? You have done so in other enactments (recognising the largest Opposition party leader as LoP), but not in the Lokpal act,” the bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao, asked Rohatgi, who sought time till December 7 to get instructions on the issue.<br /><br />Under the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act 2013, notified in 2014, the selection of Lokpal is to be conducted by a committee comprising the prime minister, Lok Sabha speaker, leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, CJI or a SC judge and an eminent jurist.<br /><br />Senior advocate Shanti Bhushan, appearing for NGO Common Cause, contended that the apex court should interpret the law as to who would be LoP. He claimed that the government, so far, did not amend the law to ensure the LoP was given recognition for the purpose of the act.<br /><br />“The 2013 law was passed after long agitation. Even today, we do not have Lokpal... the will of people is being frustrated. Do we require another Anna Andolan?” he said.<br /></p>
<p>The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the Union government for “dragging its feet” over putting in place the Lokpal. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The court also cautioned the Centre that it would not allow the whole exercise of passing the law on the ombudsman to become “redundant”. A three-judge bench presided over by Chief Justice T S Thakur expressed displeasure after being informed that the NDA government failed to bring in an amendment to the Lokpal act to grant recognition to the leader of the largest Opposition party as Leader of Opposition (LoP).<br /><br />“Today, there is no Leader of Opposition, will it continue for five years? Will you allow the law to be redundant? Lokpal, which is supposed to bring in probity in public life, should be in place. We will not allow the law to be redundant,” the bench told Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi.<br /><br />To this, Rohatgi said there should not be an assumption that Parliament will not amend the law as the process was already on. “The law was notified in January 2014... you (government) are always interested in cleansing the system... why do you show that the government is dragging its feet? You have done so in other enactments (recognising the largest Opposition party leader as LoP), but not in the Lokpal act,” the bench, also comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao, asked Rohatgi, who sought time till December 7 to get instructions on the issue.<br /><br />Under the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act 2013, notified in 2014, the selection of Lokpal is to be conducted by a committee comprising the prime minister, Lok Sabha speaker, leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, CJI or a SC judge and an eminent jurist.<br /><br />Senior advocate Shanti Bhushan, appearing for NGO Common Cause, contended that the apex court should interpret the law as to who would be LoP. He claimed that the government, so far, did not amend the law to ensure the LoP was given recognition for the purpose of the act.<br /><br />“The 2013 law was passed after long agitation. Even today, we do not have Lokpal... the will of people is being frustrated. Do we require another Anna Andolan?” he said.<br /></p>
