New Delhi:
Here are the highlights of BJP leader Sushma Swaraj's speech in Parliament:
- Narayanasamy has placed three bills for debate
- It appears the government is placing this bill in a fit of rage
- Ministers normally introduce bills very calmly and ask for support
- But the minister seems ready for battle
- This bill violates "Sense of House" we agreed on in August
- Federal structure of constitution is being violated
- Lokpal meant to handle corruption complaints at Centre, and Lokayukta will do similar jobs at state
- States have rights to make their own laws
- Centre wants to make the Lokpal model option for states, but the bill you have brought makes it mandatory
- Bill is meant to provide enabling framework but government now says we make it mandatory because states like Gujarat have failed to create effective Lokayuktas. You (government) are contradicting yourself. So why don't you first decide what you want? Is it mandatory or optional?
- 18 states have Lokayuktas. Many of them have better bills than the ones you have brought. Like Uttarakhand. Your bill will over-ride those. Better ones like the bill that Karnataka passed long ago.
- Minority quota: In a Lokpal of nine members, five seats have been reserved. Reservation in constitutional bodies is not allowed
- Sushma seen sipping water
- Proud that three presidents and current PM are from minority sections
- But what you are proposing today is not healthy for our country. Reservation on the basis of religion is not correct. Don't try to divide the country
- Lalu bhai, they got you to raise reservation and agreed to you. But they carved out a sub-quota of 4.5% for minorities from a 27% existing quota. You have been had, Lalu-ji
- Lalu to Sushma: It is you who want to divide the country
- Government is acting as if this bill is a nuisance and they just want to get it over with.
- Pranab-ji, Advani-ji are all so well-versed in parliamentary processes. I also know a little something about this. How with all of us sitting here are you asking us to accept an unconstitutional bill?
- We wanted CBI to be freed from government control. But this bill does the opposite. All power lies with the government
- Inquiry against PM comes with too many safeguards. Proceedings against him will be in-camera and cannot be accessed through RTI. Are you increasing transparency or checking it?
- In last three months, CBI said no need to investigate Chidambaram (in 2G scam)
- CBI for transfers and budget will have to bow before the government, accept its directions
- CBI's prosecution and investigating wings need to be separated, with the latter handed over to Lokpal. This way, the government's hold over the CBI ends. And the Lokpal gets its own investigating agency.
- Government told us Group C and D employees are too many - 47 lakhs - to be covered by Lokpal
- We had agreed that Citizen's Charter would be part of this Lokpal Bill. What happened?
- Lokpal does not even have the power to select its own secretary
- Government is acting as if it just wants to be able to tell the nationwide agitation that look, we have brought a bill
- Either you correct this bill, or I say with folded hands, please take it back and send it again to the Standing Committee. Let there be a detailed discussion there and bring it back in three months.