New Delhi: On the day the Lokpal Selection Committee was due to meet, Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said he will boycott the meeting until he is conferred the status of a full-fledged member of the panel as per the provisions of the Lokpal Act 2013. In his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Kharge expressed his displeasure at being invited to the panel meetings as a “special invitee”.
“It is disappointing that previous letters raising the issue had gone unnoticed,” he said. “Despite being aware of the fact that there is no such provision under Section 4 of the Lokpal Act to invite me for the selection panel's meeting as a ‘special invitee’, the government has insisted on continuing to do so,” the Congress leader wrote to the Prime Minister.
“I am sure you are aware that the Select Committee has approved the amendment in the Lokpal Act to include the leader of the single largest Opposition party as a member of the panel. The fact that this amendment has never been brought before the House by the Government, clearly indicates that the government is keen to keep the Opposition outside the process," he said.
