New Delhi: Swaraj Abhiyaan leaders senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan and his father, former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan, trashed the AAP government's Lokpal Bill, describing it as 'shocking' and 'a big joke'.
The two lawyers, who were among those who had founded the Aam Aadmi Party with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal other anti-corruption activists, demanded Mr Kejriwal's resignation saying he had come to power on the promise of providing a strong and independent anti-corruption watchdog but failed. "He came into power for the Janlokpal and has gone back on his words," the former law minister said.
The Delhi government has extended the ongoing winter session of the state assembly by a week to enable passage of the bill.
Mr Prashant Bhushan said the proposed watchdog will not be independent and has been kept under government, in the bill. He described the proposed body as a bigger joke than the centre's Lokpal that Mr Kejriwal had once dismissed as "jokepal."
The AAP government's bill will not create an independent agency, he cautioned. The two - who had helped the AAP draft a different Janlokpal bill during its previous regime in 2013 - said Mr Kejriwal does not intend giving the people "an honest, transparent Lokpal." They claimed that the original bill has been significantly diluted and made less effective.
The two lawyers, who were among those who had founded the Aam Aadmi Party with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal other anti-corruption activists, demanded Mr Kejriwal's resignation saying he had come to power on the promise of providing a strong and independent anti-corruption watchdog but failed. "He came into power for the Janlokpal and has gone back on his words," the former law minister said.
The Delhi government has extended the ongoing winter session of the state assembly by a week to enable passage of the bill.
The AAP government's bill will not create an independent agency, he cautioned. The two - who had helped the AAP draft a different Janlokpal bill during its previous regime in 2013 - said Mr Kejriwal does not intend giving the people "an honest, transparent Lokpal." They claimed that the original bill has been significantly diluted and made less effective.
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