Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley on Sunday, accused the Congress of double standards as far as the Lokpal Bill was concerned.
Jaitley wrote on his log – "Yesterday, on 14th December, 2013, we witnessed a Press Conference by the vice president of the Congress party flanked by ministers and another leader. The virtues of the Select Committee report and the Lokpal Bill were informed to the whole country. The body language of the four gentlemen who met the Press was a changed one. This was in sharp contrast to the stand of these leaders in the past three years."
He further wrote – "Earlier they had prevented Shri Anna Hazare even from sitting on a fast in support of the Lokpal Bill. They had involved Team Anna in endless negotiations only to reject all proposals. They introduced an unacceptable Bill in the Lok Sabha which was described as a ‘game changer’. It was unilaterally passed in the Lok Sabha in the face of resistance by the combined Opposition."
"When the Rajya Sabha sought to amend the bill, the House was adjourned at midnight. When the Select Committee made recommendations, the same were placed before the Parliament after almost a year. They insisted that the CBI would be under the government and not under the Lokpal," he added.
Accusing the Congress of changing its stand due to political compulsions and the fact that the 2014 General Elections were round the corner, Jaitley said – "But yesterday, both the language, approach and the body language was different. After electoral wrap on the knuckles, the mighty had fallen. The ‘game changer’ had been abandoned. They were now looking for a conciliatory approach."
Congress vice president while addressing the press in the national capital yesterday had urged all parties to come together to pass the bill in the Winter Session of Parliament. Social activist Anna Hazare is on a fast in his native village to press for the anti-graft bill.
On a philosophical note Jaitley wrote – "Arrogant people are not learners. Arrogance should never be confused with confidence. Arrogance leads to over-belief in yourself. Yesterday’s Press Conference only reaffirms this."
To the Aam Aadmi Party, who surprised everyone with their stellar performance in the recently concluded Delhi Assembly polls by winning 28 seats in the 70 member House, the BJP leader said – "This should also be a lesson for the new emerging AAP. The party has done remarkably well in the recent elections to Delhi Assembly. Its celebratory mood has converted itself into one of arrogance. The BJP has an absolute majority in three State assemblies. The BJP is the largest single party in the fourth assembly. The joy and celebrations ended on day one. The party got into the work mode on the next day itself."
He also said, "Maintaining dignity, grace and humility after victory is essential. Their letters to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and Shri Rajnath Singh are worded impolitely. Today, even their mentor Anna is not being spared. After three years of arrogant attitude towards Lokpal, the Congress has decided to climb down. One hopes that the AAP party learns from this."
