'What was Rahul doing with proposal from April till August '

Madurai, Aug 27: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau Member Brinda Karat on Aug 27 (today) described Congress General Secretary, Rahul Gandhi's proposal to make the Lokpal a constitutional body as "yet another shield" for not taking any action on the demand for the Bill.

Karat said she was "surprised by the sudden proposal" of Gandhi, and wondered "what Rahul Gandhi was doing with (his) proposal from April till August".

"The proposal had come too late and is yet another delaying tactic. There was no relevance in the proposal," she told reporters here.

Karat was here to visit a village in the district where alleged sexual abuse of girl children in a Government High School had been reported.

Karat said she had also been surprised Gandhi''s proposal had been made during Zero Hour. "What was so significant about it to make a mention about it in the Zero Hour?," she asked.

Regretting that the debate over the Lokpal Bill did not take place yesterday, she said the "ineptitude of the government on Lokpal Bill is exposed now".

Referring to opposition from members of the local population for the setting up of the Koodankulam Nuclear Power project in Tirunelveli district, Karat said as far as CPI(M) was concerned, all the Nuclear Plant programmes should be put on hold.

Japan''s bitter experience had given rise to many safety concerns, she said, adding wherever people opposed nuclear plants, her party supported them.

PTI