PM, FM choreagraphed events in Rajya Sabha on Lokpal: BJP

Bringing the Prime Minister in the line of fire, BJP today accused him and his ministers for the "choreographed disturbance" in the Rajya Sabha on the Lokpal issue and insisted that since the government wanted a weak ombudsman and lacked numbers, it ran away from a vote.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley told reporters the BJP and other opposition parties- which added up to more than the strength of the Treasury benches- had the clear aim of passing amendments on some "non-negotiable" issues and make a "strong" law.

He charged that the government prevented the nation from getting a strong Lokpal.

"The strategy of BJP and several other opposition parties was to defeat a weak and spurious Lokpal law and insist on amendments which would improve and convert the weak law into a strong law," Jaitley said.

Alleging that the government is "very capable" of manipulation, managing and fixing, the main opposition said the disturbance caused in the Upper House had the blessings of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Jaitley maintained that "the worst kept secret since 6 pm" yesterday was that the government is going to create a disturbance with the help of a friendly party to avoid the embarrasment of facing a defeat on the Lokpal Bill.

"Subversion of Rajya Sabha by the government by denying it the opportunity to make an effective legislation is a significant moral scar on this government. The Prime Minister must now live with one more moral stigma. He won the 2008 vote of confidence through bribery," Jaitley said.

Jaitley's counterpart in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj insisted this government has no right to continue in office and should seek a fresh mandate. The BJP would launch a nation-wide campaign on "dumping" of the Lokpal by the UPA, she said.