The very idea of an ombudsman who has the authority to oversee their activities is anathema to the elected representative. "Who is this nominated person who shall have the power to oversee our performance?" former Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan asked in the Rajya Sabha.
He appeared to have spoken for all elected representatives. "MPs from all sides were against the bill. Their (opposition) MPs have been asking me why we are bringing this noose round their necks. I have been told by BJP leaders that our MPs have gone to them and asked them to do something about this bill," he told DNA.
Although various political parties are now trading barbs at each other for the failure to put the Lokpal Bill to vote in the Rajya Sabha, there is a huge sense of relief among elected representatives that the bill did not get through in Parliament during this extended winter session.
"People need to separate the issue of corruption and the creation of a Lokpal. It is some kind of a myth that the creation of a Lokpal will end all corruption and that it is some kind of a magic wand," said a Lok Sabha member in his eighth term.
"It is true that the recent spate of scams has created an anti-politician mindset in the people and the media has exploited this to create a so-called Anna movement,” he said.
“But the fact remains that it is not an easy task to be a public representative. It does make for good television to slam all politicians and call them corrupt, but only an elected representative knows that getting re-elected is not a cakewalk," the Lok Sabha member said.
These apart, the anti-Lokpal and anti-Anna speeches made by members cutting across party lines during the marathon debates in both houses of Parliament, and the almost endorsing reception they got from senior leaders clearly betrayed the sentiment of the elected political class. "We cannot be seen as opposing a law that is aimed at curbing corruption, but there is no doubt that an ombudsman of the type that is envisaged in the bill passed by the Lok Sabha would not be answerable to any authority, and this by itself goes against the system of checks and balances that is the most redeeming feature of our constitutional architecture," said a senior cabinet minister.
With this mindset, the elected representatives would be pulling out every trick in their bag to at least delay the Lokpal Bill, if not bury it altogether. After all, it could not be brought to life for over 40 years since the idea was mooted. It is therefore not surprising that it continues to run a hurdle race.
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