PM’s fight against corruption ‘hypocritical,’ claims Congress
The Congress on Thursday blasted Prime Minister Modi for his hypocritical fight against corruption as a "plain political gimmickry" even while his government is systematically diluting the anti-corruption laws since it came to power.
"Stop the sermons and take action against corruption, start by cleaning up your own house," Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi told him at a Press conference here in response to his boast of fight against corruption in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday on the occasion of the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Quit India movement.
He said the Modi government has a terrible track record of systematically crippling the anti-corruption laws enacted during the Congress-led UPA regime. "Where is the Lok Pal? Is the PM protecting the corrupt? Why not implementing the Lok Pal and Lokayukta Act enacted in 2013, not appointing the Lok Pal (Ombudsman) till to date," he asked.
Singhvi said Modi has the track record of crippling appointment of the Lokayukta in Gujarat for 12 years since 2001 to 2013 during his chief ministership. He challenged the PM to put the Act passed four years into operation to probe the high-level corruptions in the government.
He cited how the government weakened the Whistle Blowers Protection Act by requiring the person must first obtain information using the Right to Information Act and listed over a dozen restrictions on whistle blowing in case of the cabinet papers, matters concerning security, central government documents and the worst being on the ground of anticipatory breach of privileges.
The Prevention of Corruption Act that was made fool proof by the Congress government in 1988 has been diluted by incorporating exceptions to practically kill its purpose and making it easy to prosecute a coerced bribed giver but extremely difficult to prosecute the bribe taker, Singhvi said, adding that the Right to Information Act has been also eroded.