Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Lokpal bill

Team Anna is absolutely right in insisting that Parliament should enact without delay an effective Lokpal law. But the strident demand for the inclusion of the Prime Minister seems to have been made without realising the implications of that step. As the architect of the Constitution, B.R. Ambedkar, pointed out on several occasions the Indian Constitution incorporates all the important elements of the Westminster style of parliamentary democracy. These include the vesting of all executive powers in a Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minster, the appointment of other Ministers on the advice of the Prime Minister and the collective responsibility of the Cabinet to the Lok Sabha.

There has been enormous accretion to the powers of the Prime Minster of England in recent decades. When Walter Bagehot published his “English Constitution” in 1867, the Prime Minister was merely first among equals. During the Second World War and in subsequent years there has been so much increase in the powers of the Prime Minister that the Cabinet system has in effect yielded place to the prime ministerial government. The same has been the situation in India when the ruling party on its own enjoyed majority support in Parliament.

Ours is a society in which too many irresponsible persons are in the habit of making frivolous complaints against persons in authority. When a complaint is made against the Prime Minister, the process of enquiry will be set in motion weakening the authority and prestige of the Prime Minister. That will be disastrous. This is not a plea for condoning the misdeeds of the Prime Minister. When he errs he should be dealt with effectively by Parliament and not by a Lokpal, however eminent and fair-minded he be.

I would urge Team Anna to give some more thought to the matter and accept the wise counsel of former Chief Justice of India J.S. Verma to keep the Prime Minister and the higher judiciary out of the purview of the Lokpal.

P.S. Appu,

Bangalore

As pointed out by Team Anna (June 20), the government does not appear serious about dealing with corruption. How can we expect our elected representatives to enact a law against corruption when the entire system is corrupt? The proposed Lokpal may not succeed in eradicating corruption. But it is a small step in the right direction.

V. Pandy,

Tuticorin

Even after hunger strikes and dharnas on the issue of corruption, the government seems unmoved. Every day is seeing a new scam. The UPA government should act quickly to expedite the passage of the Lokpal bill.

Nagaveni Ande,

Warangal

The UPA government, the Congress in particular, is losing a historic opportunity to gain credit for taking the right step at the right time. It is obvious that no political party is serious about passing a law against corruption. Anna Hazare has read the pulse of the nation. Any confrontation with his team will have only negative consequences. A Lokpal bill will be the first step in restoring the credibility of the political class.

G.C. Verma,

New Delhi

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