BJP not convinced with AAP version of Janlokpal Bill

The AAP government’s conciliatory tone and willingness to amend the Janlokpal Bill on Wednesday failed to assuage the opposition BJP whose leaders plan to meet Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung against the ‘illegal tabling’ of the proposed legislation.

“The BJP has given a list of 10 amendments in the Assembly that it wants to be accommodated in the bill before voting in the House,” said Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta of the BJP.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s openness to fine tune the anti-corruption bill as per activist Anna Hazare’s suggestions also failed to silence the Delhi Congress which is planning to release a white paper on the tabled bill and hold a protest outside Assembly on Thursday.

The ruling AAP also stepped up its campaign to publicise its so-called achievement of tabling the bill, with workers holding street meetings in all 70 constituencies to thank the Kejriwal government for brining in the anti-corruption bill. 

On Thursday, a delegation of former MLAs and state general secretaries of BJP as the saffron party is not comfortable with the AAP government’s plan for superficial amendments in the Janlokpal Bill.

Gupta said he would meet Kejriwal to impress upon him the need for adopting the BJP-proposed 10 amendments in order to make the Janlokpal Bill “compliant with the Constitution and an effective instrument against fighting the corruption”.

The amendments proposed by the BJP deal with provisions for probe against chairperson and members of Janlokpal, qualification and appointment of members, applying the Janlokpal law over central government employees on deputation to Delhi government, changes in bill provisions on constitution of special courts for Janlokpal cases and the power of the Janlokpal to transfer corrupt officials.

“We want incorporation of the LG’s suggestions into the bill before it is passed and restoration of the constitutional practice of seeking LG approval before it is passed,” said Gupta.

Delhi Congress chief  Ajay  Maken said his party’s white paper on the bill shall to expose the lies of the Kejriwal government, as its Janlokpal Bill was a betrayal on the people of the country.

The fact that the power to appoint the Janlokpal has been vested with the government, as the three-member panel includes the Chief Minister and the Speaker, besides the Leader of the Opposition, takes away the very purpose of appointing an independent Lokpal.

He said the Congress was ready for an open debate with Kejriwal on the Janlokpal Bill. AAP leader and head of Delhi Dialogue Commission Ashish Khaitan he was willing to debate on the Janlokpal with all sceptics.