Congress’s double standard policy over Lokpal continues

New Delhi, March 1: Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has declined to the government’s offer to attend the meeting of the Selection Committee for Lokpal appointment. He declined the invite writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday morning.

As per the Lokpal Act, only the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha is a member of the Selection Committee and since Kharge is not the Leader of Opposition, he is not a part of the committee.

“A special invitee invitation is a concerted effort to exclude the independent voice of the opposition altogether from the selection process of the most important anti- corruption watchdog,” Kharge said in his letter to Modi.

My mere presence as special invitee without rights of participation, recording of my opinion and voting would be a mere eyewash ostensibly aimed at showcasing the participation of the opposition in the selection process, the Congress leader said.

In these circumstances I must decline the invite as special invitee to uphold the inviolability of the Lokpal Act 2013 as the current proceedings have reduced a sacred procedure to a political presence, he said in his letter to PM Modi.