must honour the commitment," he said.
In the light of the Supreme Court leaving it to Parliament to debate
changes in the law governing the CBI to make the agency autonomous,
government today said it will soon move a bill in this regard.
"We have discussed the matter in the Cabinet already. The Cabinet has
cleared the proposal that we had made for the amendments to the Delhi
Special Police Establishment Act, 1946. Now the time has come for us
to move a bill," Law Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters here.
He said the bill will be drafted on the basis of the affidavit cleared
by the Cabinet.
He said while the government will bring the bill as soon as possible,
the processes of Parliament will decide where the matter will go.
"It is the proposal of the government, but it is ultimately Parliament
which will enact the law," he said, adding that the bill will be moved
after the apex court decides on the affidavit.
"That's the commitment to the court that we will amend the law. We
must honour the commitment," he said.
Responding to questions on attack by BJP leader Arun Jaitley on the
government affidavit on CBI's autonomy, he said the issue is "not
about vindication of A or B or what Mr Jaitley said and what I said.
Ultimately, we as a democracy, have to enact a law, to make system
more transparent. We have to take steps to do that. I don't want to
comment on what Mr Jaitley said."
Listing the measures to insulate CBI from external pressures,
government had told the Supreme Court that the agency director will be
appointed on the recommendation of a three member-panel headed by the
Prime Minister and including the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha
and the Chief Justice of India or a nominated judge - for a period of
"not less than two years".
The government, in its affidavit, had said the CBI director shall not
be transferred without the consent of the selection committee. It had
also proposed that only the President would have the authority to
remove or suspend the director, on a reference by the Central
Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) of his "misbehaviour or incapacity".
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