The Congress on Tuesday once again boycotted the meeting of the lokpal Selection Committee with its leader in lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge saying that he was invited by the Government as a ‘special invitee’ with the singular intention of excluding the opinion of the Opposition in the selection process.
Kharge shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi declining the offer to attend the meeting and alleged that his Government has not accorded priority and importance to the issue and its “double standards” stood exposed.
“Inviting the leader of single largest Opposition party as a ‘special invitee’ is done with the singular intention of excluding the opinion of the Opposition from the selection process of lokpal,” he said in his letter. The Congress leader said the Government is aware that there is no provision in the lokpal and lokayuktas Act for a ‘special invitee’ without rights of participation, recording of opinion and voting in the procedure and it has been done only to “mislead” the nation and the people, rather than sincerely seeking the participation and opinion of the opposition.
“Therefore, to participate in this charade while your Government runs roughshod over the intent and spirit of the lokpal Act would amount to dereliction of my constitutional duty,” he said. Kharge said the people of the nation should know that the Government has wasted four precious years in the fight against corruption by not amending the lokpal Act to include the leader of single largest opposition party in the lok Sabha as a member of the selection committee under the said Act.
“If the Government is, indeed, serious about ensuring that the lokpal is appointed with the sanctity it deserves, I would once again suggest that the Government bring in the necessary amendment by way of an ordinance to include the voice of the opposition in this process.
“Under these circumstances, I must once again respectfully decline the invite as ‘special invitee’ to prevent any dilution of the letter and spirit of the lokpal Act, 2013,” Kharge said in his letter to the Prime Minister.
As per the lokpal and lokayukta Act, 2013, only the leader of the opposition (lOP) in lok Sabha is a member of the Selection Committee and since Kharge does not have that status, he is not a part of the panel. A party should have at least 55 seats or 10 per cent of the strength of lok Sabha for its leader to get the lOP status.