Efforts on to derail drafting of Lokpal Bill, says Hegde

Panaji, April 26: Alleging concerted efforts to derail the drafting of a strong anti-corruption law, Justice Santosh Hegde on Monday said civil society members of the Lokpal Bill drafting committee will write to the Prime Minister and the Apex court seeking probe into charges levelled against them.

Hegde, a civil society member of the panel, said "certain elements were making concerted efforts to derail the process of drafting this bill."

"There is no attempt from civil society members to protect each other (from the charges). We don't want to do hara-kiri in this matter," he said, addressing a media conference at Dona Paula near here.

All the five non-government members of the panel will be writing to the Prime Minister and Supreme Court to investigate charges levelled against them, he said.

"Let's be very clear, there was a concerted effort by certain people to derail the process of Lokpal Bill," Hegde, who is also the Karnataka Lokayukta, said and gave examples of how certain committee members were being targeted.

Referring to the controversial CD allegedly relating to Bhushans (lawyer Shanti Bhushan and his son Prashant), he sought to know why would they manipulate the Bill.

"Whom does this Bill really affect? Why would Bhushans manipulate the Bill for their advantage?" he questioned.

"This is a law which applies strictly to bureaucrats and politicians in power. If at all somebody is interested in derailing the process, who could it be?" Hegde questioned.

PTI