Delhi govt did not seek advice on Jan Lokpal Bill: Bhatt

Former Additional Solicitor General K N Bhatt today said he was not consulted on the Jan Lokpal Bill but only on the validity of some rules.

Bhatt was reacting to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's statement yesterday that the government had taken opinion of four lawyers including Bhatt and all of them were of the view that the Home Ministry order was "unconstitutional".

The Home Ministry order says that Delhi government has to take permission from the Centre before enacting any law.

"I was not consulted on question of the Jan Lokapal Bill, but on validity of certain rules. As far as I am concerned, I was asked about the validity of rule 55 of the Transaction of Business rules," Bhatt said.

"I gave them an opinion that that rule may be invalid. But a remedy is not to calls names to Lt Governor. The remedy is to go to a court of law and challenge validity of rules," he said.

To a query on future of the Jan Lokpal Bill, Bhatt said, "I don't see a great future for Jan Lokpal Bill. No body can prevent it from debating it in Delhi Assembly and then Congress also supports it and pass it.

"Then the logical step is to present it to Lt Governor for his approval. He may send it to the President. He got that option. It will take quite some time and if it at all has a passage.

"I doubt that whether it (Jan Lokpal Bill) can at all see the light of the day. AAP can then legitimately say they made an effort, but could not succeed," Bhatt said.

Kejriwal had yesterday asked Lt Governor Najeeb Jung not to protect the interest of Congress and the Home Ministry, which were keen on stalling his government's Jan Lokpal bill.

The Chief Minister had said he had taken opinion of noted lawyers Pinaki Mishra, K N Bhatt, P B Kapur and former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana Court Mukul Mudgal and all of them were of the view that the Home Ministry order was "unconstitutional".