BeyondHeadlines Staff Reporter
Kolkata: Speaking on the Anna Hazare-led movement for the first time, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday expressed surprise at the hue and cry over the whole issue when the bill has not been even discussed in Parliament and no political party has had a chance to give their opinion.
Mamata said that this cannot be reduced to a one-point agenda and need of the hour is a comprehensive four-pronged strategy – judicial reforms, administrative reforms, electoral reforms and recovery of black money – and just not whether the Prime Minister or a Supreme Court judge should be brought under the Lokpal Bill.
The chief minister, however, asserted that she and her party were against corruption.
“We are against corruption. Our Prime Minister personally is not corrupt. He is an honest man. But the system needs to be improved,” she said. “There should be judicial reforms, administrative reforms, electoral reforms, recovery of black money and stopping further misuse of government funds,” she said.
“Many people have been giving their views and I admit they have the right to do so, but I must also ask while the issue is yet to be discussed in Parliament, why should there be so much hue and cry?” she asked.
“If we succeed in simply bringing the black money stashed abroad, the country will soar ahead.
I believe this draft Bill was discussed several times in the past. There is a need to seek the views of all political parties – and the people they represent –
and this is possible only if the Bill is discussed in the House,” she said. “We will also give our opinion then,” she said.
