NCP slams state govt for Lokayukta ‘deception’

Mumbai: A day after the state Cabinet vested the Lokayukta with the power to interrogate the chief minister in-camera, the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said that the BJP-led government is misleading the people of the state.

NCP spokesperson Naw-ab Malik on Tuesday ask-ed why the chief minister did not introduce the Act in 2014. Mr Malik said that the present Act has a provision for the probe report to be tabled before the Cabinet and it is up to the Cabinet whether to accept or reject it. He also said that when the present chief minister, Deven-dra Fadnavis, was in Opposition, he used to say that Lokpal should be ves-ted with the power of the police and must be able to file a charge sheet, seiz-ure of property and conduct raids. However, it was not reflected in Mr Fadnavis’ decision, he said. This is a ‘PR exercise’ aimed at building the image of incumbent CM, he added.

The Cabinet on Tuesday decided in its weekly meeting, chaired by the chief minister. However, the anti-corruption omb-udsman can’t initiate an inquiry against a sitting chief minister. Once the new chief minister comes to office, then with the prior approval of the governor, a probe could be initiated against the former chief minister.

Addressing a press conference, the NCP leader said that social activist Anna Hazare had protested for the Lokpal bill a few years ago. Mr Hazare was supported by many leaders, who later became BJP leaders.

Mr Malik said, “When Fadnavis was an Opposition leader, he was at the forefront of the movement for strengthening the Lokayukta Act on lines of the Lokpal Act enacted at the Centre in 2013.”