TMC flays Lokpal for floating tender to buy 7 BMW cars

Kolkata, Oct 22 (PTI) The ruling TMC in West Bengal on Wednesday slammed the anti-graft ombudsman Lokpal after it floated a tender to procure seven BMW cars, alleging that the institution created to fight corruption is now “indulging in extravagance”.

Senior TMC leaders, including MPs Saket Gokhale and Sushmita Dev, questioned the move, saying it was ironic that the anti-corruption body was spending a significant portion of its annual budget on luxury sedans instead of strengthening functioning.

“Lokpal’s luxury! Annual budget of India’s Lokpal is Rs 44.32 crore. Now, Lokpal is purchasing 7 luxury BMW cars at approx Rs 5 crore for all members. This equals 10% of the ENTIRE ANNUAL BUDGET. Lokpal is supposedly an anti-corruption body. So who will probe the corrupt Lokpal?” TMC MP Saket Gokhale wrote on X.

Echoing his views, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev said the move was an affront to the very idea behind the creation of the Lokpal.

“What was the genesis of the creation of Lokpal? The genesis was a massive movement in India against corruption. It was the people of India who wanted a mechanism to fight corruption without fear, without any hindrances right from the high officers.

“But today, what we have seen in the newspapers is a body like Lokpal has floated a tender for luxury cars. What is the message that the Lokpal is trying to give to the people of India?” she said.

Dev alleged that the Lokpal has consistently been weakened by the Narendra Modi government.

“For more than seven years, it was left dysfunctional. Now, it is almost shameful that the very body that was supposed to fight corruption is seeking to acquire luxury cars for itself. This is not just an insult to the people of India, but this is an insult to the very sentiment of the people of India, which compelled the then government to set up the Lokpal,” she said.

According to the tender and the manufacturer's website, the long-wheelbase sedan, with an on-road price of approximately Rs 69.5 lakh per unit in Delhi, is described as the longest and most spacious car in the segment, designed for outstanding comfort in an extremely luxurious cabin. PTI PNT RBT