No consensus achieved on PM under Lokpal

An all-party meeting on the Lokpal bill ended last evening with no breakthrough on the contentious issue of including the Prime Minister within the ambit of the proposed anti-graft legislation and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) voicing its differences on the government's version of the legislation.

At the end of the three-hour meeting at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's official residence, the political parties adopted a resolution that the bill will be brought in the monsoon session of parliament beginning August 1.

Setting the stage for a possible showdown in Parliament, Sushma Swaraj said the BJP would articulate its differences during the Monsoon Session

"The all-party meeting agreed that the government should bring before the next session of Parliament a strong and effective Lokpal bill following the established procedures," the resolution said.

BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said her party had differences on the government's draft bill.

"We have differences over the procedure for selecting the Lokpal, its area of jurisdiction and the qualifications of person for the post," Swaraj, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said after the meeting.

Standing committee
She said that the bill should be introduced in the Monsoon Session of Parliament and sent to the standing committee "so that political parties, state governments and organisations can give their reactions and suggestions".

"It can be passed after incorporating suggestions of the standing committee," she said, adding that the BJP will articulate its differences with the government on the bill in parliament.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Nama Nageswara Rao said that there were about 22 issues of difference between the government and opposition parties on the bill. "When the draft comes, (to parliament) we will share the details," he said after the meeting.

Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu had said earlier that the Prime Minister should come under the ambit of the Lokpal.

Manmohan Singh set the tone for the meeting with his opening remarks, reaffirming his government's commitment to a Lokpal bill which provides for a strong institutional arrangement for tackling corruption in high places. He said the legislation will be brought in during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

He said that the institutional arrangement for the Lokpal should enjoy support of as large a section of the people as possible and it has to work in harmony with other institutions and laws.

The all-party meeting was also attended by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Law Ministeru00a0 M Veerapa Moily and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal.