On Tuesday, the Supreme Court reserved its decision on the appointment of a Lokpal in the country. The court had put a hold on a batch of pleas seeking its appointment. Justice Ranjan Gogoi who headed the bench had said in the SC, “We have heard the arguments of all the parties. Judgment (is) reserved.”
Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi during the proceedings had said that in the current scenario of amendments in India, Lokpal cannot be appointed. This is the definition of Leader of Opposition is yet to be defined in the Lokpal Act in Parliament.
The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act of 2013 say that the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha will be made a part of the Lokpal selection panel. In the present situation, there is no Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
The Attorney General said that Congress, which is the largest opposition lacks the required MPs in Lok Sabha which leaves the post of Leader of Opposition empty. He said, “Unless the proposed amendment making Leader of the Largest Opposition party as Leader of Opposition is passed by Parliament, the Lokpal can’t be appointed.”
The Lokpal Bill was passed by the Parliament in 2013 and came into effect from 2014, but the Lokpal has not yet been implemented by the Government. The Lokpal says in it that it is mandated to be appointed with immediate effect.
