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The SP, which had been preventing it from being tabled all of last week, walked out in protest when the Bill was taken for discussion.
Arun Jaitley, leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, noted: “Passing the Bill is vital to restore the fast-eroding faith of the public in the political class.” Anna Hazare’s ongoing fast and the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party on an anti-corruption plank was strong impetus for politicians to join ranks and ensure the anti-corruption legislation finally saw the light of day. A Bill to establish an ombudsman of this nature was first tabled in Parliament in 1968.
The ruling Congress party on Tuesday made public an exchange of letters between Anna Hazare and party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on the subject — Hazare urging Gandhi to get the Bill passed and the latter thanking him for his support. A Congress keen to regain the political initiative on this legislation had fielded Gandhi and some of its top ministers last Saturday at a press conference, urging parties to come together and pass it.
The Bill was passed after a five-hour debate. Law Minister Kapil Sibal said it was a “historic opportunity” and this was a far stronger one than the earlier one, of 2011. This amended Bill delinks the proposed Lok Pal from the setting up of Lok Ayuktas in the states. The Union Cabinet had accepted most of the recommendations made by a select committee of the Rajya Sabha, set up in May last year after sharp differences among political parties holding up the Bill.
Jaitley, while supporting the amended Bill, did not lose the opportunity to snigger at the government for fast- tracking it in “this changed political environment”, clearly pointing to the drubbing the Congress had received in the recent Assembly polls.
Although Hazare had welcomed the government version of the Bill, the Aam Aadmi Party and its head, Arvind Kejriwal, earlier terming themselves as followers of Hazare, have rejected it. They’ve called it a “joke pal”, hitting at the government’s retention of control over the Central Bureau of Investigation, among other things.
In the debate on Tuesday, the Trinamool Congress, Janata Dal (United), Bahujan Samaj Party and DMK all extended support. The AIADMK wanted that the prime minister and chief ministers in states be kept out of the purview of the Lok Pal.
Sitaram Yechury of the CPI(M), while supporting the Bill, demanded that corporate groups be brought under the ambit, beside charitable organisations and foreign non-government bodies. Responding to him, Sibal said the government was aware of the need to clamp down on “supply side” corruption and would be proposing amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act. The adamant Left parties forced the House to go for voting on this amendment moved, unsuccessfully, by them.
