New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS) Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Friday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and urged him to take up six crucial anti-corruption bills in next month’s parliament session, sources said.
The meeting was followed by the Congress’s core group meet chaired by party president Sonia Gandhi at the prime minister’s 7 Race Course Road residence.
The meeting endorsed Rahul Gandhi’s suggestion of pushing these bills next month when parliament meets to pass a vote on account ahead of the April-May Lok Sabha elecctions.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde later told reporters that Rahul Gandhi has been pushing for the anti-corruption bills.
“Rahul Gandhi has been working for passage of these bills and it was only to fulfill the promises made to the people rather than scoring any political points,” the minister said at his monthly press conference.
Shinde said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government will place the anti-corruption bills before parliament during the short session next month.
The bills likely to be pushed during the session are the Public Procurement Bill, the Prevention of Corruption Act (Amendment) Bill, the Prevention of Bribery of Foreign Public Officials and Officials of Public International Organisations Bill, Electronic Delivery of Services Bill, The Right of Citizens for Time-bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill and the Whistleblowers Protection Bill.
He said the decision was taken at the core group meeting of the Congress held earlier in the day.
Law and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal and Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions V. Narayanasamy also attended the meeting.
Asked whether the Congress party session on Jan 17 was to announce Rahul Gandhi as prime ministerial candidate, Shinde said the party is of the view that he is a natural choice for the post.
“We have always been saying this that we need him and so does the country,” he said.