Rajasthan govt to review ACB order on corruption, CM Gehlot says 'zero tolerance policy' will continue
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday made it clear that his government will review the Anti-Corruption Bureau's (ACB) order which restraints anyone from revealing the names of government employees who are under investigation for corruption.
The ACB has issued the order in the name of the ‘human rights’ of the guilty government employee.
The order passed by the additional director general (ADG) of ACB Hemant Priyadarshi on Wednesday says, "the investigation officer will be responsible for the safety and human rights of the accused who is in the custody of the ACB."
CM Gehlot said that the order has probably been issued in compliance of the Supreme Court order but it will be reviewed.
Talking to the media in, Gehlot said, "I will cut the hair of rapists and gangsters and parade them in the public, if I can. If one feels ashamed then only the others will get afraid."
He added that "our zero tolerance policy on corruption will continue and action on corrupt officials will increase in the future."
ACB Order Draws Flak
The order of the ACB said, "All the unit in charge of ACB in Rajasthan are hereby instructed that the name and pictures of government officials accused in graft cases or caught red-handed, should not be revealed to media until he is convicted.
"Only the name of the department and post will be made public."
Until now the ACB itself used to release photographs and videos of its raids and trap activities on government officials, and even call the media to brief after some major action.
But the order has drawn criticism with the opposition BJP accusing the Congress government of protecting the corrupt officials.
"This order of the Gehlot government has dusted off the promise of working on the principle of 'zero corruption, zero tolerance' in point number 28 of page 36 of Congress party’s manifesto.
"It is proof that the ACB which is mandated to work against the corrupt will now act as a shield," deputy Leader of Opposition, Rajendra Rathore tweeted.
