Lok Ayukta Bill: 'Prez giving nod is a victory for Constitution'

HOURS after President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to the tweaked Kerala Lok Ayukta Bill, which Governor Arif Mohammed Khan kept with him for long before passing it on to the President, State Law Minister P. Rajeeve took potshots at Khan.

“He should have signed the Bill as all the contentions raised by the Congress-led opposition in the state legislature were answered. Anyone who has a reasonable knowledge of English will be able to understand it. This is a victory for the Constitution,” said Rajeeve as quoted by IANS.

The opposition had pointed out that the tweaking of the Lok Ayukta Bill was one meant to save Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other ministers as a corruption case was being heard by the Kerala Lok Ayukta.

Khan, who received the Bill in September last year but failed to act on it, had defended his decision, saying, “The basic principle of jurisprudence is that a person cannot judge his own case. It's not possible. A democratically elected government does not mean that it can break the law. The rule of law shall be upheld and will not allow it to be diluted," said Khan.

And when Vijayan decided to take legal advice on the delaying tactics of Khan, in November last year, he sent the Bills to the President, who inked in on Wednesday evening.

Meanwhile, veteran Congress legislator and former Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said with the tweaked Lok Ayukta Bill getting the assent is detrimental to the Constitution as the executive has been given an upper hand over the judiciary and this is against the apex court ruling and hence this act by the President is likely to come under judicial scrutiny.

“We will continue to oppose this,” said Chennithala.