Kharge Turns Down Invite to Attend Govt Lokpal Meet

Mallikarjun Kharge.

(Photo Courtesy: The News Minute)

Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has written to the prime minister, declining the government's invitation to attend the meeting of the Selection Committee for Lokpal appointment.

The government had asked him to attend the 1 March meeting for the Selection Committee as a special invitee.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kharge said that the invitation was a “concerted effort” to exclude the voice of the opposition in Lokpal selection.

A special invitee invitation is a concerted effort to exclude the independent voice of the opposition altogether from the selection process of the most important anti- corruption watchdog.

Kharge said in his letter to Modi.

As per the Lokpal Act, only the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha is a member of the Selection Committee and since Kharge is not the Leader of Opposition, he is not a part of the committee.

"My mere presence as special invitee without rights of participation, recording of my opinion and voting would be a mere eyewash ostensibly aimed at showcasing the participation of the opposition in the selection process.In these circumstances I must decline the invite as special invitee to uphold the inviolability of the Lokpal Act 2013 as the current proceedings have reduced a sacred procedure to a political presence,” he said in the letter.

The Times of India reported that the meeting will be attended by PM Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and CJI Dipak Misra, while Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh will attend as a special invitee.

(With PTI inputs)