Except two, all LS MPs game to tweak Lokpal Act

NEW DELHI: In a rare camaraderie, when the Treasury and Opposition benches in the Lok Sabha joined hands to amend the Lokpal Act, just two MPs — CPM's Mohd Salim and Trinamool Congress' Kalyan Banerjee — questioned the manner in which the amendment was pushed through without proper discussion.

Salim said the changes will also "exempt MPs, who are public servants, from declaring their assets".

"The minister ( Jitendra Singh) seeks to pass this bill in a hurry. He had not even listed this important bill in the list of business or supplementary business (the bill was brought separately). This is a wrong parliamentary practice," Salim said. Banerjee asked:

"Why is the government favouring some NGOs by exempting them from filing asset declaration?"

Congress was seen cooperating with the government in amending the provision. Its floor leader Mallikarjun Kharge said the exercise should not be seen as compromising with graft.