‘ Lokpal selection panel meet held without Kharge’

The Centre on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that the selection committee for appointing a Lokpal met on March, without the participation of the leader of the single largest party in Lok Sabha and decided to first fill up the vacancy of an eminent jurist in the panel.

Attorney- General K K Venugopal told a bench comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and R. Banumathi that the vacancy of an eminent jurist in the committee, which also includes the Prime Minister, would be done at the earliest and only then the government can proceed with the appointment of Lokpal. He said the selection committee took note of the orders passed by the apex court in this regard.

When Justice Gogoi asked the AG whether there was any indication as to when eminent jurist would be appointed, the AG said ‘ at the earliest.” Senior advocate P. P. Rao was appointed as an eminent jurist in the panel, but the post became vacant after he passed away last year.

The Bench hearing a contempt petition filed by Common Cause through advocate Prashant Bhushan for not implementing the April 2017 verdict of the apex court in appointing Lokpal, asked the AG to inform on April 17 the steps taken to appoint eminent jurist and the appointment of anti- corruption ombudsman ‘ Lokpal’.

Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge refused to participate in the ` select committee’ meeting convened by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the selection of anti corruption watchdog ` Lokpal’ as a ` special invitee’. Mr Kharge, who felt snubbed for being called as a “special invitee” rather than in the status of “Leader of the Opposition”, addressed the Prime Minister, saying that he won’t attend the meeting on the appointment of a Lokpal since it was a move to exclude the Opposition from the selection process.