BJP insists on Prime Minister within Lokpal

BJP today insisted that prime minister should be brought within Lokpal, but said judiciary be kept outside its jurisdiction.

"Our party's stand on the issue is crystal clear.It wants a strong lokpal bringing prime minister within its ambit," BJP spokesman Syed Shahnawaz Hussain told reporters here.

During NDA regime at the Centre, Atal Behari Vajpayee had himself offer his post to be brought under Lokpal, he said.

But, Hussain said, BJP wanted that judiciary be exempted from the purview of the Lokpal as a separate commission was proposed for it.

On other contents of the bill, he said "we'll put our views on the bill in the Standing Committee of law and justice of Parliament."

Asked about his party's support to Anna Hazare and his aides demanding Jan Lokpal bill, Hussain said "Anna has met our leaders and we have supported the stand on PM being brought under the ambit of the bill."

Accusing the Congress of spreading false propaganda that Anna was weakening the parliamentary system, he said "it is an attempt to defame the team."

He reiterated his party's demand for removal of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit on CWG scam, besides Union Ministers S K Shinde and Vilas Rao Deshmukh for their alleged involvement in the Adarsh scandal.