Congress questions UP CM on Lokayukta

Lucknow, Aug 1 (IANS) The Congress on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Akhilesh Yadav government on the appointment of Lokayukta in Uttar Pradesh and has asked it to come clear on the controversy.

After the state government decided to keep the chief justice of Allahabad High Court out of the panel that selects the state Lokayukta and the subsequent statement by the incumbent Justice N.K. Mehrotra that he will not quit, senior Congress leader Satyadev Tripathi termed the "recent developments as unfortunate".

"Justice Mehrotra has now given a new twist in the already controversy-marred issue," Tripathi said.

He also referred to the comments made by Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on alleged corruption by state officials and ministers, and mused as to why under such conditions he is thwarting the process to select a new Lokayukta.

Seeking the appointment of a smear-free candidate as the next Lokayukta of UP, Tripathi said the state government should give up the sham of transparency and honesty, and rather focus on its constitutional obligation of bringing people involved in graft to book through the office of the Lokayukta.