When Lokpal becomes 'shauq pal': Opposition flays plans to acquire 7 BMWs for anti-corruption watchdog

The opposition on Wednesday criticised the anti-corruption watchdog Lokpal after it floated a tender to procure seven high-end BMW cars for its members, accusing the institution of prioritising luxury over accountability.

The tender, issued on 16 October, seeks to acquire seven BMW 3 Series 330Li long-wheelbase sedans, each costing roughly Rs 69.5 lakh on-road in Delhi, bringing the total outlay to around Rs 5 crore. The vehicles, described as the most spacious in their segment, are intended for the chairman, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar (retd), and six members of the Lokpal.

The tender also mandates a seven-day training programme for drivers and designated staff, covering vehicle features, safety systems, emergency handling, and 50–100 km of on-road practice, to be conducted by the supplier at its own cost. Delivery is expected within 30 days of the supply order, with bids closing on 6 November.

The Congress took a dig at Lokpal over the tender, saying the guardians of integrity are chasing luxury over legitimacy.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said Lokpal has now become more of a 'shock pal, 'shok (mourn) pal' and 'shauq (indulgence) pal'. There was a false narrative created against the Manmohan Singh government with Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, 'India Against Corruption', and the RSS indulging in propaganda, and now the reality of the Lokpal is before the people, he said.

It needs to be asked what investigations has the Lokpal carried out and whose arrests they have succeeded in, Ramesh said.

Senior Congress leader and former home minister P. Chidambaram questioned the necessity of the high-end vehicles, contrasting them with the modest sedans used by Supreme Court judges.

“Why spend public money to acquire these cars? I hope at least one or two members of the Lokpal have refused, or will refuse, to accept these cars,” he said on X.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi called the move a “tragic irony,” adding that the anti-corruption body, with just 24 probes and six prosecutions from 8,703 complaints, was chasing “luxury over legitimacy.”

TMC MP Saket Gokhale highlighted that the cost of the BMWs represents about 10 per cent of the Lokpal’s annual budget of Rs 44.32 crore, questioning the institution’s priorities. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also took aim at the purchase, describing it as “Gazab ka Jokepal at Indian taxpayers’ expense.”

The announcement has sparked a political outcry, with critics arguing that an institution tasked with upholding integrity should not be seen indulging in extravagant spending.

The Lokpal has yet to respond publicly to the criticism.

With Agency Inputs