Congress not in favour of strong anti-corruption bill: Manish Sisodia

NEW DELHI: Congress has never been in favour of a strong anti-corruption mechanism and that is the reason why it had decided to oppose the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill by the AAP government in Delhi, Education Minister Manish Sisodia said today.

"How can we even expect that Congress will support us in the fight against corruption? For 45 years they did not implement the Jan Lokpal Bill.

"The (Lokpal) Bill they (UPA) have passed now is in no manner effective. Congress has never been in favour of a strong Lokpal Bill," Sisodia told reporters here.

Congress had yesterday said it would not support the Jan Lokpal Bill if the ruling AAP fails to adhere to "constitutional norms" while implementing the same.

The Congress assertion was in reaction to the AAP government's stand that the Bill would not be sent to either the Union Home Ministry or the Lt Governor for approval before its tabling in the Assembly.

"Congress is not against the Jan Lokpal Bill, but we want the law to be passed in a constitutional manner and within the legal framework. We will approach the Lt Governor for this," senior Delhi Congress leader Haroon Yusuf had said.

Asked how AAP expects to get the Bill through without Congress support, Sisodia said the government would present the Bill in the Assembly and leave the rest to the legislators.

AAP has formed a minority government in Delhi with outside support from Congress.

The Delhi Cabinet had on Monday cleared the draft of the much-talked-about Jan Lokpal Bill. The Bill covers all public servants - from the chief minister to Group D employees - and seeks life term as the maximum punishment for those found guilty of corruption.