PM should be under Lokpal: Oppn

The Prime Minister should be under the anti-corruption Lokpal institution, said the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as the Left parties on Sunday.

Speaking at a debate of political parties from the platform of Anna Hazare´s token fast protest here at Jantar Mantar, BJP leader Arun Jaitley said: "PM should be under Lokpal, while being the PM, not after completing the tenure."

He said the country needs a strong and nonpartisan Lokpal for sure.

He said the citizen charter and lower bureaucracy have to come under Lokpal as promised in the parliament in its sense of the house in August.

"The appointment of members of Lokpal should be not in only the hands of Government. Other parties and eminent citizens should also be part of the appointment process. The CBI also needs to be made independent," said Jaitley.

Speaking at the debate, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader A B Bardhan said Anna group must have the patience to hear others also.

He called for judicial commission being discussed for past 20 years and a judicial accountability bill, and supported a citizen charter.

"However, don´t expect every word, comma and full stop of Janlokpal proposed by Team Anna to be accepted," he said.

He urged them to also fight for farmers and rural people and poor as well since corruption is not the only issue.

Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Dhimsa said: ‎"We are with Anna ji and when the Lokapl bill comes to parliament we will support Anna ji."

Speaking at the debate, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Brinda Karat said the Dalits, minorities, and all should be taken together to change the society.

"Only 542 members of parliament do not represent India but not all politicians are corrupt. We need politicians but we need good politicians," she said.

"The Lokpal bill being brought in the parliament right now is equivalent to not having a Lokpal at all. License/lease give due to corruption should be stopped/taken back. PM should be under Lokpal, including corruption in army!" she said.

Karat said the MPs´ behavior inside parliament should be under Lokpal.

"Group C employees should also be under ambit of Lokpal. CBI should be under Lokpal. However, judiciary should come under a separate bill and grievance redressal should also be separate. We also need electoral reforms and other reforms. All sections of society should get representation in Lokpal," Karat said.

Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav said all government employees should be under the Lokpal.

He said the CBI is in the hand of the ruling government and so the misuse of the federal investigating agency should be prevented.

Earlier, the self-styled Gandhian activist Anna Hazare began his one-day token fast in demand for a strong Lokpal Bill at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.

After a visit to the Rajghat at the Gandhi memorial here where he meditated for a while, he went to the fast venue and began his protest.

He said he would not speak much during his day-long hungerstrike.

‎Anna group had called for a debate by the political parties at the venue of the fast. Many political parties like the BJP, BJD and the Left among others participated though Congress said it will not participate in the same as they cannot debate the Lokpal report of Standing Committee outside the Parliament when it was not even debated inside the House yet.