Keep PM out of Lokpal ambit: Jaya

CHENNAI:  In what could be music to ears of the beleague­red Congress party, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has categorically stated that her party was against the inclusion of the Prime Minister under the purview of the Lokpal Bill.In an exclusive interview to television channel Times Now, her first after being elected to power with a huge majority, Jayalalithaa said bringing the Prime Minister under the purview of the Lokpal would pave the way for a parallel government that would seriously undermine the authority and credibility of the PM’s office. She also expressed concern that the Lokpal could be used by foreign powers to destabilise the government. Elaborating, she said if a frivolous and politically motivated complaint was filed against the Prime Minister before the Lokpal and it is telecast by all TV channels round the clock, it would dent the Prime Minister’s credibility and authority, even if nothing came out of the complaint at the end.“If there is an allegation against the Prime Minister under the Lokpal, he would be put in the defensive and would be constantly occupied with defending himself. How can the government function in such a scenario?” she asked.Besides, the Prime Minist­er was already covered under the Prevention of Corruption Act and any complaint against him can be investigated by the CBI, she said.Asked about her offer to the Congress last November to drum up the support of 18 MPs for the UPA if the government took action against the DMK ministers in connection with the 2G scam, Jayalalithaa said it was a one-time offer and that the situation had changed since. “At that time, there was a feeling that the Centre was hesitating to take action on the 2G scam due to the compulsions of coalition politics. So, that is why I made the offer so that the Congress could feel assured... so that if it did take strong action against corruption, the government would not suffer.… But now, the situation has totally changed. The Congress has made it clear that it has an alliance with the DMK and it did face the elections with the DMK,” she said.The CM also reiterated her stand that if anybody wanted her support, they would have to ask for it.