Noted social activists join hands to counter corruption

NEW DELHI - Noted social activists including Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, and Kiran Bedi jointly gave a call for the enactment and the implementation of the long pending Lokpal Bill to counter corruption in higher echelons of the government.

Addressing the media here, Arvind Kejriwal, the crusader of Right to Information Act said that to fight against corruption, the institution of the Lokpal is a must as the pending Bill has to be tabled, passed and enacted.

“If we have a proper investigating and prosecuting body which is independent of the government. So, we have drafted a Lokpal Bill (Ombudsman Bill), the Law Minister announced in October in Bhopal that the government will bring (table) this Lokpal Bill in the Parliament and he also said that he would amend the Constitution for the same. The draft which the government is bringing is again an eye-wash,” he added.

Hazare said: “There is no system in India to stop corruption. So many scams took place and the government made this institution called as CBI. People have this misunderstanding that CBI is a great probe agency that can do justice to every scam. CBI officials are like cows and buffaloes under the influence of the government. CBI functions at the behest of the party in power.”

Kiran Bedi, former IPS officer said: “The police force in India is not worth carrying any prosecution of high profiled personalities and public figures than just booking petty thieves, pick pockets and small burglars.

“Indian police is excellent for pick pockets, small burglars but not for major 420 (cases) (420 is the section of Indian Penal Code for cheating). The reasons behind this are that it takes years to investigate the forged documents, which are submitted. In the last 60 years and plus in India white-collar crime has been least attended to, least investigated and the cheats know that they walk away with it and crime is paid. That’s why it multiplied as the economy got liberalised,” Bedi added.

Recently, a report tabled in the Parliament recently held former Telecom Minsiter A. Raja responsible for causing losses estimated at rupees 1.76 trillion to the exchequer in the 2G telecom spectrum allotments by favouring some operators and not resorting to auction.

The Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi in October 2010, had been marred by charges of rampant corruption, dubious contracts and poor workmanship.

The multi-million rupee Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society scam in Mumbai involved scores of senior politicians, bureaucrats and their relations, besides former top brass of the armed forces.

Apart from the above, there have been plethora of cases involving leading politicians and top bureaucrats in corruption and allied unfair practices for personal gains. (ANI)