Team Anna urges Modi Govt. to implement strong Lokpal Bill in Gujarat

Ghaziabad, Jan 18 (ANI): Kumar Vishwas, a close aide of veteran social activist Anna Hazare, on Wednesday urged the Narendra Modi Government in Gujarat to implement a strong Lokpal Bill similar to that in Uttarakhand.

Vishwas's comments came as the Gujarat High Court upheld the appointment of Justice (retired) RA Mehta as the Lokayukta earlier in the day.

"We believe that the right format of public ombudsman bill was implemented in Uttarakhand by its Chief Minister Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri. This kind of format has been implemented in very few states of the country; even Gujarat does not have this. We are hoping that the Gujarat government will take the provincial assembly into confidence and would implement an effective public ombudsman bill as being implemented by their other ruling state (Uttarakhand)," he said.

In a setback to the Narendra Modi Government, the Gujarat High Court earlier in the day upheld the appointment of Lokayukta by the Governor while dismissing the plea of the state challenging it.

Modi had accused the Governor of acting in a partisan manner and trying to destabilise the state government.

The Gujarat Government had earlier challenged Governor Kamla Beniwal's decision to appoint Mehta as state's Lokayukta, deeming the move unconstitutional and unilateral.

Justice (retired) RA Mehta was appointed as Lokayukta in August last year by Governor Beniwal. The post was lying vacant since November 2003.

According to the Indian Constitution, the Governor is the constitutional head of the state, appointed by the President on the aid and advice of the central government. (ANI)