This Article is From Jan 31, 2013

Highlights: CBI must be independent, says BJP on Lokpal amendments

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has given its go ahead to a number of amendments to the Lokpal Bill after the Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha submitted its report. The bill is now set to be placed before the Rajya Sabha in the Budget Session of Parliament.

The BJP, however, slammed the government for not considering the suggestions proposed by them. At a press conference, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the CBI must be an independent body.

Here are the highlights of his press conference:

  • Very fundamental suggestions were made by the BJP on the CBI
  • There must be security of tenure of CBI Director and he should not be eligible for appointment after he retires
  • The government has noted any other suggestion to making CBI Director's post more autonomous
  • The security of tenure and absence of allurement of reappointment is necessary for autonomy
  • Select Committee had said officers of CBI investigating cases of lokpal will be transferred with the approval of Lokpal - why has not the government accepted that?
  • Only Rajya Sabha can make amendments to Lokpal, not government
  • By not accepting it, the government has shown it is not taking CBI's autonomy seriously
  • The law should not provide an avenue for the corrupt to get away with it
  • The process of appointment of Lokpal must be transparent and free from government control
  • The autonomy of the investigating body while investigating cases of corruption is of crucial importance
  • Whatever we have heard from the government today raises serious questions to that
  • The government pushed through the bill in the Lok Sabha - what happened in the Rajya Sabha the entire country saw on how the government sought to filibuster the bill
  • The government has not been able to convincingly convey why the larger issues raised by the Select Committee have not found favour with the government
  • BJP has been saying the country wants and effective Lokpal
  • The govt assured the house that in the budget session they will bring it - let's see the fine print
  • Surely on Lokpal we can have a lot of coordination - but that is a matter of parliamentary strategy we will have to work out
  • I have seen the comments of jayalalithaa and I hope a way out is found
  • When you are compromising on two of the important aspects , then its efficacy is under question... but we will have to look at the fine print
  • We accept the Lokayukta should be appointed by the states - that we have maintained
  • Lokpal bill should be a model bill and that is according to the constitutional provisions

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