Delhi Assembly Speaker yet to get Lokayukta's response
NEW DELHI: Nearly 12-day passed yet Delhi Lokayukta has not written any reply to Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel. The Speaker asserted that he would not write to the Lokayukta anymore on the matter and after the reply is received the Speaker would take further decision on the matter. "Why should I write another letter? I am the speaker and it's a constitutional post which should be respected by all," Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel told Millennium Post.
The speaker explained that in his letter issued on January 23 he raised three demands among which two were accepted but not the last one. "I urged the Lokayukta to remove the names of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker as they do not come under the purview of the Lokayukta, it has been done. As per my request, the Lokayukta has also asked for an amended complaint where the names of BJP MLAs were also included. But they have not responded on the legality of Lokayukta's act," said Goel.
The Delhi Assembly Secretary had on January 11 received a letter from the Office of the Lokayukta asking the Assembly to issue notices to all 70 MLAs seeking their assets' declarations for three financial years. Thereafter Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel wrote to Lokayukta Justice (retd.) Reva Khetrapal seeking action against a petitioner for a "motivated complaint" that asked for a declaration of assets by Aam Aadmi Party MLAs. "I strongly urge that as per Section 9 (2) of the Lokayukta Act, 1995, a complaint be filed before the Competent Court so that the petitioner is penalised and sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment for filing such false and baseless complaints. The Assembly
Secretariat is examining whether the baseless and unsubstantiated allegations contained in the petition invites proceedings against the petitioner for contempt and breach of privileges of the House as well as of the Hon'ble Members," Goel wrote.
Commenting on the developments Delhi Leader of opposition Vijender Gupta said, "The BJP is doing whatever the Lokayukta has asked. We have submitted the assets and in future also follow the orders."
