Digvijay wants PM, higher judiciary too under Lokpal

NEW DELHI: Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh looks set to stir another controversy by endorsing the demand of civil society activists to bring the prime minister and higher judiciary within the purview of Lokpal.

“My view is that the prime minister , Judiciary, NGOs and industrial houses should also be brought under the ambit of Lokpal. But there should be a system to ensure that the Lokpal does not misuse its power,’’ Singh told newspersons in his hometown Raghogarh in Madhya Pradesh. The AICC general secretary’s view is certain to complicate matters for Congress, which is yet to formulate its formal position on the subject.

The government is opposed to inclusion of the prime minister and higher judiciary under Lokpal ambit. “When I was Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, I had brought the CM's post under the purview of Lokayukta (Ombudsman ),’’ Singh said. Talks between the government and civil society members on the draft Lokpal bill almost collapsed on May 30, with the two sides taking a diametrically opposite view on the issue. While government representatives insisted on keeping the PM, higher judiciary, armed forces, EC and MPs’ conduct in Parliament outside the purview of the proposed Lokpal, members of the civil society saw their stand as going against their plans to have a strong Lokpal.