Friday August 26, 2011 08:59:11 PM, IANS

New Delhi: AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi's idea to make the Lokpal office a constitutional body on the lines of the Election Commission of India has found support with experts.

While former Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan said he has given a draft Lokpal bill, on the lines of Rahul Gandhi's idea, to spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar, constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap said "any office under the constitution is more important and powerful".

AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi said in the Lok Sabha Friday that rather than discussing the Lokpal office as a "statutory body, which may not be accountable to people and may itself become corrupt" it should be "elevated and fortified making it a constitutional body accountable to parliament".

Explaining the difference between the two, Kashyap said: "A statutory body can be created through an ordinary bill in parliament. But for creating a constitutional body, the government has to bring an amendment bill."

He said the Election Commission of India is autonomous in its functioning but is answerable to parliament through the law ministry, which controls its financial and administrative matters.

 

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Picture of the Day

Anna mocks Congress charge of RSS, BJP support. But in Malegaon, BJP is using hoardings to garner support for Hazare. Also, there are good number of BJP workers and hardcore RSS activists in the rallies called to support Hazare.

(Photo: ummid.com)