Lokpal's Lavish Car Controversy: Luxury Over Legitimacy?

The opposition critiques Lokpal for planning to buy seven BMWs, highlighting luxury over duty. Congress leaders Chidambaram and Singhvi criticize the move as extravagant. The tender for luxurious cars costs 10% of Lokpal's budget. This purchase raises questions about Lokpal's priorities and accountability.

The Indian anti-graft body Lokpal is under fire after announcing a tender for purchasing seven luxurious BMW cars, which has sparked fierce criticism from opposition figures. These vehicles, amounting to about Rs 5 crore, will be allocated to each of Lokpal's members, including the Chairman.

Senior Congress officials, including P Chidambaram and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, condemned this decision. Chidambaram questioned the need for such expensive vehicles when even Supreme Court judges travel in modest sedans. Singhvi, who was part of the team that conceptualized Lokpal, lamented this expensive pursuit as 'tragic irony'.

The decision has drawn ire from other political parties as well, with TMC MP Saket Gokhale and Shiv Sena's Priyanka Chaturvedi asserting that such expenses contradicted anti-corruption principles. The call for tenders mentions a mandatory training for drivers, raising further questions about the necessity and timing of this opulent purchase.

(With inputs from agencies.)