New Delhi, February 14 (IANS): The government is committed to weeding out corruption and many anti-graft bills have “empowered” the people of the country, Minister of State V. Narayanasamy said Friday. Speaking at the 7th Interpol global programme on anti-corruption, financial crime and asset recovery for South Asia, the minister said people feel “empowered” by the whistleblower protection bill as well as the public procurement bill. “The only bottleneck is the early disposal of corruption cases,” Narayanasamy said, adding that people who are guilty of corruption should be punished as soon as possible. “We produce all the documents and evidence but ultimately, the court has to take decisions,” he said. Narayanasamy said India had joined the United Nations Convention Against Corruption in 2011 and the country was marching ahead in its battle against corruption. A total of 38 participants from six South Asian nations and 25 participants from India participated in the five-day conference that concluded Friday. Narayanasamy also attacked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said he was pushing for the Jan Lokpal bill because he was hungry for “cheap publicity”.
“Whether it is the union minister or state minister, everyone has to abide by the constitution, they will have to go by the law,” the minister in the Prime Minister’s Office said. “Arvind Kejriwal is for cheap popularity. He must behave like a chief minister and must follow the rules,” he said.
