Samajwadi Party should reconsider opposition to Lokpal Bill: Congress

NEW DELHI: Citing the support of BJP to the Lokpal Bill, Congress today hoped that UPA's outside ally Samajwadi Party will reconsider its opposition to the anti-graft measure.

"Compliment Rahul Gandhi for coming out strongly in favour of Lok Pal and Arun Jaitley also for supporting it. Hope SP would reconsider," Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh said on Twitter.

The Lokpal Bill, in an amended form after consideration by the Select Committee, was brought back to the Rajya Sabha for consideration but there could not been any discussion on it due to opposition by Samajwadi Party members.

"Thank Anna for supporting Lok Pal. Hope it becomes Law in this Session of Parliament," Singh further tweeted.

Among the amendments made in the bill are delinking of the setting up of Lokayuktas in states, a highly controversial provision because of which many parties had opposed it in the House in December 2011.

The new bill also grants powers to ombudsman to sanction prosecution against public servants.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has also appealed to political parties to set aside their differences to ensure the bill's passage to fight corruption.

The Lokpal Bill is slated for a debate in Rajya Sabha on Monday. Referring to Samajwadi Party's opposition to the Bill, Gandhi had recently said that all parties should together accomplish this bill.

He had appealed to all parties to support this bill which was in the national interest.