Samajwadi Party disapproves the way Gujarat Lokayukta was appointed

The Samajwadi Party on Tuesday said it does not agree with the manner in which the Gujarat Lokayukta was appointed by Governor Kamla Beniwal, but added that parliament proceedings should not be disrupted continuously on the issue.

The Samajwadi Party on Tuesday said it does not agree with the manner in which the Gujarat Lokayukta was appointed by Governor Kamla Beniwal, but added that parliament proceedings should not be disrupted continuously on the issue.

Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav said he did not agree with the manner in which the Lokayukta was appointed by the governor, bypassing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled state government.

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"It (the appointment) is against the federal structure of the country," Yadav told IANS.

However, he said parliament should not be disrupted continuously on the issue. The BJP has repeatedly stalled proceedings of both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha over the governor appointing Justice (Retd) R.A. Mehta as Lokayukta without consulting the Narendra Modi government.

Yadav, a Rajya Sabha member, said the BJP's repeated stalling of the proceedings showed the "power" wielded by Modi.

He also attacked the government for not reaching out to the opposition over stalemate on the Lokayukta appointment.

"This is the weakest government. No initiative has been taken to reach out to opposition. No minister has come forward to make a statement," he said.