Ind|a Aga|nst Corrupt|on

A-119, kaushamb|, Ghaz|abad - 201010. U h: 09868069953

www.|nd|aaga|nstcorrupt|on.org


uaLed: !une 13
Lh
, 2011

Dr Manmohan 5|ngh,
r|me M|n|ster of Ind|a,
7, kace Course koad,
New De|h|.

uear ur Manmohan Slnah [l,
?ou are one of Lhe mosL honesL rlme MlnlsLers LhaL Lhe counLrv has had. lL ls lronlcal LhaL vour
own aovernmenL should seek Lo Lake Lhe rlme MlnlsLer ouL of Lhe purvlew of Lokpal's
lnvesLlaaLlons.
As of Lodav, Lhe rlme MlnlsLer ls covered under Lhe revenLlon of CorrupLlon AcL. under LhaL
law, anv alleaaLlon of corrupLlon aaalnsL a rlme MlnlsLer can be lnvesLlaaLed. no excepLlon has
been made for elLher Lhe rlme MlnlsLer or anv of hls acLlvlLles (llke exLernal affalrs, defence
eLc). Lverv acLlvlLv of Lhe rlme MlnlsLer can be lnvesLlaaLed under revenLlon of CorrupLlon
AcL.
Powever, as of Lodav, Lhe lnvesLlaaLlons are done bv C8l, whlch ls dlrecLlv under Lhe conLrol of
Lhe rlme MlnlsLer hlmself. 1he onlv chanae LhaL we are proposlna ln Lhe presenL svsLem ls LhaL
raLher Lhan belna lnvesLlaaLed bv an aaencv dlrecLlv under hls own conLrol, leL Lhe M be
lnvesLlaaLed bv an aaencv whlch ls lndependenL, llke Lhe Lokpal. We are noL proposlna anv
oLher chanae.
1he flve mlnlsLers, who are members of Lhe drafLlna commlLLee, unanlmouslv feel LhaL Lhe
rlme MlnlsLer should be kepL ouL of Lokpal's lnvesLlaaLlons. 1he ConsLlLuLlon of lndla does noL
aranL anv such lmmunlLv Lo Lhe rlme MlnlsLer. Cnlv resldenL has been aranLed lmmunlLv
from anv lnvesLlaaLlons and Lrlals.
So, ln order Lo Lake Lhe M ouL of Lokpal's amblL or even Lo Lake some parL of hls [urlsdlcLlon
ouL of Lhe amblL of Lokpal's lnvesLlaaLlons, Lhe aovernmenL would need Lo amend Lhe
ConsLlLuLlon and Lhe revenLlon of CorrupLlon AcL and aranL hlm lmmunlLv slmllar Lo LhaL
en[oved bv Lhe resldenL. ls Lhe aovernmenL plannlna Lo do LhaL? Whv? We LhouahL we would
aeL a beLLer and sLronaer anLl-corrupLlon realme under vour Lenure. Cn Lhe conLrarv, Lhe
aovernmenL seems Lo be shrlnklna Lhe scope of anLl-corrupLlon realme. 1aklna Lhe rlme
MlnlsLer ouL of anv probe would be a reLroarade sLep.
CovernmenL's sLand ls LhaL a rlme MlnlsLer under scanner would become dvsfuncLlonal". uo
vou reallv feel so? ?ou have worked wlLh boLh Mr 8a[lv Candhl and Mr naraslmha 8ao. uld vou
aeL a feellna LhaL Mr 8a[lv Candhl, Lhe Lhen rlme MlnlsLer, become dvsfuncLlonal" due Lo
8ofors probe? Cr dld Mr v naraslmha 8ao become dvsfuncLlonal" due Lo probe ln !harkhand
MukLl Morcha case?
1he rlme MlnlsLer ls prlvv Lo a loL of securlLv relaLed senslLlve lnformaLlon. Suppose Lomorrow,
a corrupL person llke Madhu koda or A 8a[a or anv of Lhe 8eddv 8roLhers became rlme
MlnlsLer. uon'L vou feel LhaL Lhe securlLv of Lhe counLrv lLself would be serlouslv compromlsed
lf rlme MlnlsLer en[oved compleLe lmmunlLv from anv lnvesLlaaLlons and Lrlals? 1here ls no
clvlllsed counLrv LhaL we are aware of where Lhe head of aovernmenL ls lmmune from
corrupLlon lnvesLlaaLlons.
We remember LhaL ln Lhe pasL, vou had vourself offered Lo be brouahL under Lhe purvlew of
Lokpal 8lll. 1hen whv are vour own mlnlsLers opposlna vour lncluslon ln Lokpal's amblL? ls Lhere
a dlsconnecL or communlcaLlon aap wlLhln Lhe aovernmenL?
lnLeresLlnalv, Lhree ouL of Lhe flve mlnlsLers, who are members of Lhe [olnL drafLlna commlLLee,
have Lhemselves advocaLed lncluslon of Lhe rlme MlnlsLer ln Lokpal 8lll on earller occaslons.
Shrl ranab Mukher[ee, as Lhe Chalrperson of Lhe parllamenLarv sLandlna commlLLee on Lokpal
8lll ln 2001 under nuA realme, had hlmself recommended LhaL rlme MlnlsLer should be
covered under Lhe amblL of Lokpal. 1he Lhen rlme MlnlsLer Sh ALal 8lharl va[pavee aareed Lo
LhaL recommendaLlon.
LaLer ln !anuarv 2011, Mr Mollv, Law MlnlsLer ln Lhe presenL aovernmenL, suaaesLed lncluslon
of rlme MlnlsLer ln Lokpal's purvlew ln Lhe drafL law prepared bv hlm. 1hls drafL law was senL
Lo Lhe home mlnlsLrv under Mr Chldambaram, whlch also concurred wlLh Lhls vlew ln lLs
commenLs made ln March 2011.
So, lL appears LhaL ln Lhe lasL Len vears from Lhe vear 2001 upLo March 2011, Lhe aovernmenL's
vlew has been LhaL Lhe rlme MlnlsLer should be brouahL wlLhln Lhe purvlew of Lokpal. now, all
Lhe Lhree mlnlsLers have suddenlv Laken a u-Lurn and Lhev appear Lo be adamanL on keeplna
Lhe MC ouL of Lokpal's amblL.
We are wonderlna whaL happened posL March 2011, whlch prompLed Lhe aovernmenL Lo
suddenlv Lake a u-Lurn on Lhls lssue?
1lll now Lhe rlme MlnlsLer could be lnvesLlaaLed bv C8l. Whv should an honesL rlme MlnlsLer
llke vou be scared of belna lnvesLlaaLed bv an lndependenL Lokpal?
We would be araLeful lf vou could klndlv clarlfv aovernmenL's poslLlon ln Lhls reaard.
WlLh warm reaards

?ours slncerelv,

k.8. Pazare ShanLl 8husan !usLlce SanLosh Peade


rashanL 8husan Arvlnd ke[rlwal