Press Briefing
Tuesday, 27th December 2011
Shri Abhishek
Singhvi addressed the media today.
Shri Abhishek Singhvi said the leader of the
opposition in the Lok Sabha has specifically
called for deferral of the passage of the Lokpal
Bill and reference of it to a Standing Committee
for consideration of further amendments. We
would like to say with respect that it is clear
that the BJP does not want a strong or
comprehensive anti-corruption bill. We believe
that the BJP wants to run with the hare and hunt
with the hound and not catch any quarry after
all the running and the hounding. The BJP wants
to go to Jantar Mantar to seek support of those
who agitate there. It wants to play to the
galleries to suggest that it stands for a strong
Lokpal and yet it wants no bill to be passed for
political reasons to keep pot boiling till
forthcoming elections. In this the BJP reflects
the hypocrisy and complete contempt for public
and for national interest. The BJP is least
bothered about corruption as indeed the NDA or
elements of the NDA. The BJP is happy to keep
Gujarat Lokayukta un-appointed close to a
decade. It is happy to have acts in each of the
States it rules like Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh
and Chattisgarh which are not even 1/3rd as
comprehensive or efficacious as the present Bill
being discussed in the parliament. It is time
that the BJP made a voluntary disclosure about
its true intentions. It is time that they came
clear. It is time that they stopped speaking
with a forked tongue. If they have the interest
of the nation at heart, they should ensure the
passage of the Bill in the next two days of this
session. It is no doubt true that it is we and
not them who have brought this most effective
anti-corruption legislation in 65 years to this
parliament and it is no doubt true that we have
done after an intense year of deliberations of
joint drafting committee, of the sense of the
House, of Standing Committee and a redrafted
Bill. It will be tragic if the BJP or other
parties by whatever means, direct or indirect,
ensure that the Bill does not pass because that
will expose them to the nation as party or
parties who do not want at the ground level a
really effective anti-corruption law.
To a question as to the passage of the Bill in
the absence of 2/3rd majority in the Lok Sabha
and other questions in relation to the Lokpal
Bill, Shri Singhvi said why are you asking this
question from the Congress party. It is the duty
which the Congress-led UPA has discharged
admirably to bring a comprehensive extremely
efficacious anti-corruption measure to the floor
of the House. It is nobody’s duty thereafter to
ensure or guarantee its passage. That is the
precise point I am making that it is those
parties or individuals or persons or entities
who do not allow the numbers to add up who have
to answer your question. It is those parties who
are accountable and you must rightly ask that
question after two days when you know the
identity of those who directly or indirectly on
some pretext or the other ensure the net result
of non passage.
On the question of keeping the CBI out of the
Lokpal, Shri Singhvi said that it is pointless
repeating a discussion in this room when the
part of the discussion is going on since morning
in the House on the issue and the balance part
will go on tomorrow and day after. I would
advise you to listen to the debate in the house
rather than repeating it here. To constantly
parrot or repeat that the CBI should be under
the Lokpal cannot be end in itself. You should
know what it means. For example, do you know
that this bill specifically suggest that the CBI
is not subject either to the Lokpal or to the
Ministry on the merits of the investigation. Do
you know for example, that for the first time it
makes a very high-powered committee for the CBI?
It abolishes all sanctions which were a major
hindrances and obstructions to CBI prosecution.
Do you know for example that it subjects the CBI
already its charge sheet to full approval and
scrutiny by the Lokpal. In fact the Lokpal files
the charge sheet for Lokpal referred
investigation which is prevention of corruption
act investigation. Tell me, if the reference
after the preliminary enquiry is done by the
Lokpal to the CBI and if after the CBI files the
charge sheet, it goes to the Lokpal and the
Lokpal finalizes the charge sheet. Then in what
way is the Lokpal not fully supervising the CBI
and what else is left. So apart from parroting
it in a mechanical manner as some people have
been doing is not fully the CBI subject to
scrutiny and control and yet a check and balance
is kept by keeping the investigating arm
separately.
Shri Singhvi also added that do you know that
Section 8 of the CVC Act which supervises the
CBI till now, has also been transferred to the
Lokpal. Which view point is right is a sterile
debate and it has to be decided by the
parliament.
On the question of reservation, Shri Singhvi
said there is no question of reservation; it has
to be issue based. Certainly that is the whole
point. We have done our job of bringing the most
effective powerful anti-corruption legislation
in 65 years on the floor. Now if you object to
it or you defeat it, it is your accountability,
they have to answer your question. That is the
legitimate question as a Professor used to say
‘should the perfect be allowed to be the enemy
of the good’. In the search for an elusive
non-existent perfect Bill should you prevent the
passage even of a good Bill? That is the
equation and that question you are rightly
asking but to the wrong person.
To another question whether if the Bill is
passed with the reservation for minority, can it
not be challenged in the court of law and stay
obtained, Shri Singhvi said it is a wrong
approach and further said that the Standing
Committee had not suggested for any reservation.
After the Standing Committee, there was an
all-party meeting on the issue. All the parties
had reached a near consensus that there should
be reservation and even the BJP had not said
‘NO’ to this. It is the afterthought of the BJP
and if they feel that they have the VETO power,
they should forget about it since there were
other parties also present in the all-party
meeting representing the entire nation. The
government will face the situation if and when
it arises.
(Tom Vadakkan)
Secretary, AICC
