Draft Jan Lokpal Bill: AAP "fooling" people, says Congress

NEW DELHI: Hours after the ruling AAP cleared the draft of the Jan Lokpal Bill, Congress today came heavily down on the Arvind Kejriwal-led government, saying it was flouting constitutional norms by not sending the proposed legislation to the Union Home Ministry for approval.

Senior Congress leader Mukesh Sharma said that Delhi government should get clearance from the home ministry before tabling any Bill.

"By clearing this Jan Lokpal Bill, the AAP government is fooling the residents of Delhi.

"AAP MLAs are playing games by okaying this Bill. Chief Minister Kejriwal is playing a big game to kill politics in India, which is dangerous for our democracy," Sharma said.

The draft Bill was cleared at a Cabinet meeting presided over by Kejriwal. Bringing in a Jan Lokpal Bill to contain corruption was a key election promise which AAP had made to voters in Delhi.

After assuming office in December last year, Kejriwal had said his government would pass the Jan Lokpal Bill by the first week of February.

Following Cabinet's approval of the draft Jan Lokpal Bill, PWD minister Manish Sisodia said no provision for any "special privileges" for even the chief minister and the council of ministers had been made in the Bill.