'PM's plea for consensus on Lokpal is time killing'

New Delhi: BJP on Saturday described Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's appeal for a consensus on the Lokpal Bill as a "time killing, diversionary tactic" and demanded that the government first make its stand clear on the series of scams and pending issues like formation of Telangana.

"The Prime Minister's appeal for consensus on Lokpal Bill is hollow and without any commitment on the part of the government. The same appeal was made on the issue of Telangana but the stand of the ruling party, the so-called consensus still remains illusive," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

He insisted that government had made a similar appeal on the Women's Reservation Bill and said this is "time killing and diversionary tactics".

"BJP demands that the Prime Minister should make his government's stand clear and then ask others. An appeal without commitment is nothing but yet another act of deception," Javadekar said. The main opposition charged that people coming out on the streets is akin to a "no-confidence motion" against this government by the public.

The BJP spokesperson maintained that the government has not taken any action on the recommendations of the Shunglu Committee report and the CAG indicting Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in the Commonwealth Games anomalies, allegations of involvement of Home Minister P Chidambaram, former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran's alleged complicity in Aircel-Maxis Communications deal and the mess in Air India.

"The Prime Minister owes answers to all these queries and he must act on all these and other scandals. Then only his appeal for consensus will have some meaning. Till then these are just words without any commitment," Javadekar said.

The Prime Minister today urged for a broad national consensus on the Lokpal bill issue, expressing hope that the government can enlist the cooperation of "all thinking segments of Indian public opinion" to ensure a strong and effective Lokpal.