PM under Lokpal could destabilise democracy: Sibal

Team Anna Hazare has started a campaign to solicit public opinion on the Lokpal bill from Sibal's constituency

PTI | July 22, 2011



Sticking to his stand of excluding the Prime Minister from the ambit of the Lokpal, Union Minister and a key member of the joint drafting committee Kapil Sibal today said an accountable ombudsman could destabilise democracy.

An independent "non-angelic" Jan Lokpal could destabilise the entire system as the office of the Prime Minister is the "lynch-pin" of the country's Parliamentary democracy, Sibal said in an article in the latest issue of party mouthpiece "Congress Sandesh."

"Given the nature of our polity, quick fire unsubstantiated allegations made for political mileage are likely to paralyse institutions... Such an eventuality will diminish Parliamentary democracy," Sibal said.

The minister argued that given an unstable neighbourhood and terrorism being a real threat, weakening the institution of the Prime Minister would be a "monumental folly".

Incidentally, the article has come at a time when team Anna Hazare has started a campaign to solicit public opinion on the Jan Lokpal bill from Chandni Chowk, the parliamentary constituency of Sibal, who is a member of the Joint Committee to prepare the draft of Lokpal Bill.

Sibal, who invited the ire of the civil society over the issue, warned that "in the scheme of things, an elected Lokpal, who is not accountable is an anathema to our concept of Parliamentary democracy."

The minister also disfavoured bringing higher judiciary as well as the conduct of MPs inside Parliament under the ambit of Lokpal.

In the editorial, the mouthpiece says, "the institution of Lokpal has to work in harmony with other institutions and laws and it has to function within the framework of the basic structure of our Constitution.

Noting that the government is committed to introducing the Lokpal bill in the coming session of Parliament, the party editorial hoped the measure would be cleared by the winter session.

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