Cong never wanted Lokpal Bill to be passed: BJP

Lucknow, Dec 30: BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi today alleged Congress never wanted the Lokpal bill to be passed by Parliament.

"The government's intention was not right since the beginning and the Congress itself did not want the Lokpal bill to be passed by Parliament," he said here.

The manner in which RJD member Rajniti Prasad snatched the copy of the bill from Union Minister V Narayanasamy and tore it and there was no resistance showed the entire thing was "orchestrated", he said.

Joshi said since the Congress's proposal to grant constitutional status to Lokpal was rejected in the Lok Sabha, it "did not get the bill passed in the upper house".

Refuting Congress' allegations of BJP agreeing on the constitutional status to the bill in the standing committee, the BJP leader said, "Did the government followed everything it said in the standing committee. Recommendations of the standing committee are not binding."

He said the government's allegation that the opposition is responsible for stalling the passage of the bill was only an attempt to hide internal differences.

"Trinamool Congress and DMK are in the government, SP and BSP are supporting from outside, why did not they support it (the bill)?" Joshi asked.

The Lokpal Bill failed to get Parliament's nod when Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die abruptly yesterday amid high drama and the Opposition accusing the government of running away from a vote because it was in a minority.

The problems of the ruling coalition, which has 93 members in the 243-member Upper House, grew after one of its constituents Trinamool Congress (6) and outside supporters BSP (18), SP (6) and RJD (4) made it clear that they will vote against the Bill.

The Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Joshi said the most absurd thing was the provision of reservation to minorities in the Lokpal committee.

"The government says that it's representation...But when you say not less than 50 per cent seats will be for women, backward and minorities, what else is reservation?" he questioned.

"There is no reservation in the constitutional institution," he said.

PTI