UPA proposes to engage all parties on Lokpal Bill

The UPA government today proposed to engage all political parties in the anti-corruption laws it proposes to introduce in the winter session of Parliament and it will not succumb to one group.

The UPA government on Tuesday proposed to engage all political parties in the anti-corruption laws it proposes to introduce in the winter session of Parliament and it will not succumb to one group.


"We expect the opposition will rise above partisan politics and cooperate with the government to ensure early passage of the listed legislations," minister of state for planning and government spokesperson Ashwini Kumar said.

He disagreed with Team Anna that only Lokpal can solve the problem of corruption. "We need a set of measures to check corruption. Annaji's view cannot be the last word…Let the Parliament decide," he said. He was also of the view that the legislative process was a "democratic compromise" and non-flexible view was negation of the compromise.

Taking a dig at the opposition for airing their views on Lokpal Bill at social activist Anna Hazare's fast on Sunday, Kumar said the leaders had tried to "pre-empt" and "pre-judge" the Parliamentary procedure as floor of the house was the place for MPs to air their views on legislations and not streets.

"We will bring the law which will sub-serve our view and will not succumb to a group," he said.

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