Govt opposed to PM under Lokpal: Sibal

LOKPAL-SIBAL
New Delhi, Jun 18 (PTI) Indian Government said on
saturday prima facie it was opposed to the inclusion of Prime
Minister under the ambit of Lokpal but was open to the idea to
cover him once he demits office.
"Within the government, we feel prima facie, the Prime
Minister should not be covered (under the Lokpal). But at the
same time we want to make sure that if he demits office, he
should not be exonerated from prosecution," HRD Minister Sibal
told Karan Thapar in CNN-IBN's Devil's Advocate programme.
At the same time, he said the government will only
decide on the issue after the draft bill goes to the Cabinet.
Sibal's comments came two days ahead of the the final
meeting of the joint drafting committee on Lokpal Bill.
However, he said, the five ministers in the joint
drafting committee were willing to be persuaded to bring the
Prime Minister under the ambit of the anti-corruption
legislation if the civil society side gives a compelling
argument.
While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has publicly
stated that he was open to the idea of bringing the post under
the Lokpal, Sibal said it was not the question of "an
individual, Manmohan Singh but it's about an institution".
Arguing against the inclusion of a Prime Minister in
office under the ombudsman, the minister said, "Which Prime
Minister in office anywhere in the world has been prosecuted
in the world? Please tell me, please give me an example."
He said people rallied behind Anna Hazare during his
protest as they were upset with corruption but most of them do
not know what is Lokpal Bill.
"Anna Hazare is like the 'Pied Piper of Hamelin'. The
tune is lilting and people were upset with corruption just as
government is. We want to deal with it. But those who follow
him, where they say corruption should be deal with, do not
know what the Lokpal Bill is," he said.
Sibal said the differences with the civil society were
"not reconcilable" as negotiations were meant to bridge
differences and not for increasing differences.
"We will try and resolve as much (differences) as
possible...When the hurdle comes, we will see...The question
is the extent of the area the Lokpal wishes to occupy," he
said.
Sibal said there was no dispute on having an
independent Lokpal outside the government with powers to carry
out independent investigation and prosecution. There was also
no need for government sanction for prosecuting public
servants, he said.
"There are huge areas of agreements which are not
placed in public domain," he said in veiled reference to civil
society members' claims that there were large areas of
disagreement.
The Minister was of the view that the Lokpal should
deal with corruption cases at higher level, otherwise covering
40 lakh odd central government employees would require a
massive infrastructure independent of government.
"Lets limit it. There are mechanism to deal with
corruption in lower levels. Lets strengthen it. It should not
be something which is unmanageable," he said.
Sibal said till new people were recruited, the Lokpal
has to draw people from present structure, which according to
the civil society are corrupt. "Then how will they become
pure, how will they change."
He also said the government was flexible on the issue
of inclusion of officials below Joint Secretary level under
the Lokpal.
However, he was not in favour of bringing CBI and CVC
under Lokpal saying, "necessarily there was no need to destroy
CBI (or CVC)" while having a separate investigation wing for
the ombudsman. PTI NAB/SJY
ASH