Lokpal opinion after cabinet draft: Nitish

Congress is trying to find an escape route on the question of Lokpal bill by seeking opinion from chief ministers and proposing an all-party meeting, said Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.

Congress is trying to find an escape route on the question of Lokpal bill by seeking opinion from chief ministers and proposing an all-party meeting, said Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.

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“Let the government open its cards and say what it wants to do on crucial issues such as bringing the prime minister under the purview of Lokpal. We shall give our views after the cabinet approves and puts up a draft. We are not here to bail out the Congress,” he said.

The Bihar chief minister had earlier refused to reply to a letter from the Centre that had sought his opinion.

Nitish Kumar said the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre was under siege following a series of scams and is unable to get itself rescued. “The current movement of the civil society is led by people who have some credibility and it is hurting the government at the Centre. By asking for the opinion of political parties and state governments, the Centre is seeking an escape route. Why should I provide them an escape route?,” Nitish Kumar said.