Lok Pal not a solution to eliminate corruption, says Sukhbir Badal

Says corruption will not be eliminated with Lok Pal, just like crime cannot be eliminated by setting up more police stations

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said the setting up of Lok Pal as demanded by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is not a solution to eliminate corruption, and called for administrative reforms to "change the system". Sukhbir, president of Punjab 's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which is an ally of BJP, said he would tell the NDA to make administrative reforms an agenda of the alliance to end corruption.

"Corruption will not be eliminated with Lok Pal, just like crime cannot be eliminated by setting up more police stations. Lokpal is not the solution... The only solution is to change the system," Sukhbir told reporters here.

However, he clarified that SAD was not against Lok Pal. "The Lok Pal, once formed, could also become corrupt," he said. "Administrative reforms departments should be set up at Central and state level in the country to change the system by removing obsolete rules," he said.

Sukhbir claimed that the AAP was "copying" its work, and said the SAD was the real party of 'aam aadmi' (common man). "SAD is a real party of 'aam aadmi'. Whatever they (AAP) have done, they have copied us. They have done just 10 per cent of what we have done," he said, adding that the Punjab government had been running Sangat Darshan programme for the last several years for the benefit of common man.

The SAD leader said his party was ready to advise the Arvind Kejriwal party to "change the system" to wipe out corruption.

On the announcement of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, he said SAD would be the first party to put out the names as soon as elections are announced. Taking a dig at the internal rift in Punjab Congress, Badal said at the rate at which leaders were resigning from its recently formed mega state committee, the party would not be left with any candidate to contest the polls. "Most of MLAs are ready to join SAD party," he claimed.

On Congress' demand for CBI probe into the recently busted massive drug racket in the state, Sukhbir said some vested interests were trying to tarnish the image of the government. "We are the ones who arrested him (drug lord Jagdish Bhola). If we had to shield him, then why would we have arrested him?" Sukhbir asked. On Bhola's revelations that he was linked to ministers in the Punjab government, Sukhbir responded, "Why is he saying it now (naming Minister weeks after his arrest)? It seems lot of interests have come in."

Congress had earlier claimed that Bhola had publicly named a minister for his alleged involvement in the sensational drug racket.