Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday hit out at anti-graft ombudsman Lokpal after it floated a tender to procure seven luxurious BMW cars, collectively worth around Rs 5 crore.
The ruling party in Bengal said that the “guardians of integrity” are chasing luxury over legitimacy.
It also alleged that under the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, this institution has been reduced to a “mockery of its purpose”.
In a post on X, Trinamool Congress said: “Under @narendramodi, this institution has been reduced to a mockery of its purpose, first kept vacant for years, then filled with handpicked loyalists more interested in leather upholstery than in public probity. These are not watchdogs; they are lapdogs in luxury cars, driving straight over the idea of accountability.”
“What message does this send to the nation? That corruption isn’t to be fought, it’s to be comfortably chauffeured around in imported sedans bought with public money,” TMC further wrote.
In an elaborate message on social media, the ruling party in the state also stated: “The irony couldn’t be more striking. The very body meant to fight corruption now wants to cruise around in BMWs worth ₹5 crore, not to serve the people, but to serve its own indulgence. The Lokpal, which was born out of India’s collective anger against graft, has now become a symbol of everything it was created to fight.”
According to the tender and the manufacturer’s website, the long-wheelbase sedan, with an on-road price of approximately Rs 69.5 lakh per unit in Delhi, is described as the longest and most spacious car in the segment, designed for outstanding comfort in an extremely luxurious cabin.
TMC MP Saket Gokhale, in a post on X, said: “Lokpal’s luxury. Annual budget of India’s Lokpal is Rs 44.32 crore. Now, Lokpal is purchasing 7 luxury BMW cars at approx
Rs 5 crores for all members. This equals 10% of the entire annual budget.”
He added: “Lokpal is supposedly an anti-corruption body. So who will probe the corrupt Lokpal?”