Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Apr 5: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy & Space, Dr Jitendra Singh has accused the opposition parties of scuttling the Government Bill against corruption.
While speaking on the Anti-Graft Bill moved by him in the Rajya Sabha, Dr Jitendra Singh was interrupted with repeated disruptions from the Opposition benches, but without allowing himself to be disturbed or distracted, he went on to claim that the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill moved by him, served the twin objectives of making the anti-corruption law more stringent and effective, and at the same time, offers adequate safeguards and protection to government officials who perform their job with honesty and efficiency.
Dr Jitendra Singh continued to speak amidst din, even in spite of the continued disruption from the Opposition. He repeatedly addressed the Chairman of Rajya Sabha and urged upon him to allow the bill be passed because that was not only the sense of the House, but in fact, the sense of the entire nation to stand behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s crusade against corruption.
Raising his voice loud enough to be heard above the din, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the duplicity of the Congress Party and its allies stands exposed, because while outside the Parliament they accuse the Modi Government of not being sincere in acting against corruption, when inside the House of the Parliament, they make sure that there is disruption and the Bill against the corruption does not get passed. Does this mean that the members of the Opposition have something to hide and are therefore scared against strict law against corruption and if so, it is for the nation, which is watching the Parliamentary proceedings on television, to decide who stands on which side and who are conspiring to scuttle Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s crusade against corruption.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, this is a rare occasion that the Bill against corruption, which was brought up in the Rajya Sabha soon after the Modi Government took over, has since been pending for the last four years without being allowed to move forward. He said, the Bill has gone through all the possible processes including referral to the Parliamentary Standing Committee, referral to the Select Committee of the House , appraisal from the Law Commission, and it has been thoroughly discussed at all these fora by MPs belonging to different political Parties. Even if now, some Members are reluctant to move this Bill forward, then they will have to explain to the nation the logic, if at all, behind this conduct of theirs, he said.
The House witnessed repeated adjournments before it was finally adjourned for the day by the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha P.J. Kurien.
Later, speaking to media persons outside the Parliament, Dr Jitendra Singh said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment against corruption stands vindicated, while Opposition’s hypocrisy has been exposed before the whole country.
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