The much-debated Lokpal bill finally made its debut in parliament, even as angry members of Team Anna burnt copies of the government version which ignored the more stringent version prepared by civil society representatives. Anna Hazare burnt the copies of the bill at his village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, the Manmohan Singh government found itself cornered as leader of opposition Sushma Swaraj opposed the most important feature of the bill presented in parliament: keeping the PM out of its purview.

Team Anna held a press conference in Ghaziabad, which was addressed by Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and Kiran Bedi.

“The bill has absolutely nothing for the aam-admi and is loaded in the favour of the politicians and government officials,” Arvind Kejriwal, rights activist and close associate of Anna Hazare said.

Criticising the government version of the bill, he said the bill ignores the corruption at the panchayat level, ration shops, passport office, municipal councils, NREGA and health centres.

“An aam-admi or a farmer does not have to deal with the central government officials, or council of ministers, who fall in the purview of the Lokpal bill.”

The Lokpal bill as opposed to the team Anna’s version the Jan Lokpal bill will only have the authority to prosecute the central government officials. Allegations of corruption against the rest would be investigated by the central bureau of investigation (CBI). The appointment of state Lokpal, as proposed in the Jan Lokpal has been rejected by the government.

“What was the need for two investigating agencies,?” asked Kiran Bedi.

The Jan Lokpal bill had proposed a single independent investigating agency that would have the powers to investigate all allegations of corruption.

“The CBI is a supreme court driven agency and therefore we had asked for its anti-corruption wing to be included in the Lokpal. But that was not done. We also do not understand the clause 18 of the Lokpal billl, which says that any case pending with the CBI could not come to the Lokpal. It means that the all the big scams that have surfaced in the recent time would continue to drag with the CBI,” she said.

Noted lawyer and another member of the Jan lokpal drafting committee Prashant Bhusan raised questions about the appointment of the Lokpal members and their dismissal.

“Five out of the nine members would be appointed by the government. Do you think these members would be in position to take a stand against the same government?"he asked.

“As far as their dismissal is concerned the government can go to the supreme court for their dismissal and till the investigation is pending, the lokpal member would not attend office. This would render the very authority of the lokpal weak,” he said.

Bhusan also objected to the provision of FIR against the complainant in the case of the complaint turning out to be frivolous.

“While the accused will have the chance to present his case three times in front of the lokpal, the complainant could be jailed once the lokpal decided that the complaint is frivolous,” he said.

Swami Agnivesh called the introduction of the Lokpal bill as murder of democracy and unconstitutional. 
The team exhorted people to support the fast of Anna hazare beginning August 16 against the Lokpal bill.

Meanwhile the burning of the bill’s copy would carry on all day in different parts of the Delhi and NCR.

Bhushan, after presenting his criticism of the official bill, said the burning of it at their protest venue was meant as symbolic gesture and requested all supporters to refrain from violence.

PTI reports :

The much-debated Lokpal Bill was introduced in the lok sabha today amid objections from the BJP and its NDA partners over exclusion of the prime minister from the purview of the proposed legislation.

Just before introduction of the bill, speaker Meira Kumar gave permission to leader of the opposition Sushma Swaraj to express her views as a special case under Rule 72.

Swaraj said when the prime minister does not enjoy immunity from prosecution under the criminal law and Prevention of Corruption Act, why is he being kept out of the ambit of the Lokpal.

She maintained that as per the constitution, everybody was equal and there is no immunity from IPC, CrPC or the Prevention of Corruption Act.

"It is for the first time that under Clause 2 of the Lokpal Bill, all union ministers are included except the prime minister. I don't understand why. How can anybody occupying any position be a holy cow. Why is the prime minister being kept out of its purview?" Swaraj posed.

She stated that then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had put the debate to rest during NDA rule by saying that if he is not under its purview it will have no meaning. She was referring to the lokpal bill proposed by the NDA government which was ultimately not introduced in parliament.

"As chairperson of the then standing committee on home, Pranab Mukherjee had accepted that the prime minister should be within the purview of the lokpal. The prime minister (Manmohan Singh) has himself said he wants to be within its ambit. Why is the cabinet not paying heed to his views?" she asked.