'New Lokpal bill weaker than previous one'

New Delhi, Dec 26: Former Justice of Supreme Court, Santosh Hedge claimed that the current Lokpal draft is worse than the previous one.

While addressing the media people, Hedge claimed that Team Anna was ready to accept a Lokpal bill which has minimum four negotiable issues.

Showing his dissent over the new draft, Santosh said, "The team now for the present is willing to accept a Bill which is minimum four non-negotiable issues which Parliament is to discuss. The first one is there should be suo motu power to Lokpal and if Lokayuktas are also to be brought into picture they also must have suo motu power."

"Most important demand that is made in this and I think the government should not disagree with this because in their own bill they had agreed. That is Lokpal, and if Lokayuktas is also going to come along with Lokpal, it must have a strong investigating agency. Either you give that wing of the CBI which is investigating into corruption charges which will have no work once the Lokpal Bill comes into force because all the corruption cases of the central government will come to Lokpal investigation. Let the entire wing be transferred to Lokpal team. If that's not possible then let them allow the Lokpal to have its own investigating agency," said the former justice.

"Today what we recommended, the primacy did not lie with the politicians but in government bill that is presented primacy lies with the government which is not safe because they can't have their own offices and the power of removal also cannot just lie with them. It should be with the superior agency like Supreme Court. The selection committee of Lokpal members and for CBI director should be less political. I am not saying totally apolitical, less political and more people from the other society," he added

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