CPI(M), CPI reject questionnaire on Lokpal Bill

New Delhi, Jun 6: The Government's move to seek views of various political parties on Lokpal Bill suffered a set back with two major Left parties -- CPI (M) and CPI -- refusing to answer a questionnaire on its provisions sent by the Bill drafting committee chairman and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

While CPI-M said the government can seek the party's views on the bill before it is presented to Parliament, CPI said it will state their views and suggestions during the discussion on the issue in the House.

"You can seek our views before it is presented to the Parliament. If that is not possible, then we shall certainly express our views on the draft through Parliamentary procedures," CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat said in a letter to Mukherjee.

He said his party has "definite views" on the nature and scope of the Lokpal authority to be set-up and "the issues that need to be considered are not necessarily confined to the six questions which you have posed to be answered in yes or no terms". "Therefore, we suggest that the Government prepare a draft of the Lokpal legislation on which we will be able to give our views," he said.

In reply to Mukherjee's letter, CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said at no stage were the political parties involved or ever consulted during the entire process of constituting the joint drafting committee.

"You want our party and also other parties to give our views on certain matters raised by you regarding the Jan Lokpal Bill latest by June 6, 2011, because as you say, ''The Joint Drafting Committee has been given a mandate to complete its work latest by 30th June 2011''. We are not aware who gave the mandate to the Joint Drafting Committee," he said.

PTI