Badal supports PM's exclusion from Lokpal

Calling for inclusion of all chief ministers and the entire judiciary under the purview of the proposed Lokpal, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the Prime Minister should not not be included in the ambit of the ombudsman.

Calling for inclusion of all chief ministers and the entire judiciary under the purview of the proposed Lokpal, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday said the Prime Minister should not not be included in the ambit of the ombudsman.

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"According to my personal view, the office of the Prime Minister should be excluded from the proposed Lokpal in the larger national interest," he told reporters in Amloh.

Badal said the Prime Minister has to discharge "extremely sensitive duties while dealing with several international and diplomatic issues, which warranted certain norms to maintain the secrecy of office".

He, however, said all chief ministers and the entire judiciary including the Chief Justice and judges of the Supreme Court and high courts should be included in the ambit of the Lokpal.

Badal accused the Congress-led UPA government of failing miserably to curb poverty, illiteracy and unemployment despite its tall claims of safeguarding the interests of the poor and disadvantage sections of the society.

On the proposed sit-in protest across the state on June 16 by the SAD against corruption and high inflation, Badal said it would be a wake up call to remind the Congress-led central government of its democratic duties towards society.

Badal also demanded that the Centre immediately initiate effective steps to bring back the black money stashed in the foreign banks.