BJP Jharkhand unit writes to President for strong Lokpal

Accusing the Congress of triggering 'murder of democracy at midnight' in scuttling enactment of a strong Lokpal on December 29, BJP’s Jharkhand unit today urged President Pratibha Patil to ask the Centre to come up with an effective ombudsman at the earliest.

"We would request you to direct the Centre to make a strong and effective Lokpal in order to safeguard democratic values and develop a corruption-free system (as well)," BJP’s state unit president Dineshanand Goswami said in his party’s letter to Patil.

Goswami and his party men garlanded the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Morabadi and then marched to Raj Bhavan and submitted the letter, addressed to the President, to Jharkhand Governor Syed Ahmed.

The letter, a copy of which was released to the media here, sought to draw a link between emergency, Baba Ramdev's dharna against black money and Lokpal bill "all initiated at midnight."

Observing the nation was steeped into corruption and faced with a spiralling price graph, the letter alleged "the Congress has been indulging in protecting the corrupt and weakening foundation of democracy."