Anti-corruption watchdog Lokpal to buy seven luxury sedans worth Rs 70 lakh each, one for every member

Anti-corruption watchdog Lokpal plans to buy 7 luxury sedans worth Rs 70 lakh each, one for every member

The anti-corruption watchdog is watching… from a BMW. It has come to light that the Lokpal is planning to buy seven luxury sedans worth Rs 70 lakh each, one for every member.

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According to the tender notice issued on October 16, the cars will come with seven days of training for Lokpal drivers and staff, covering the vehicles’ electronic systems and operations.

The notification added that the offer would remain valid for 90 days from the date of opening.

The move has sparked widespread outrage online. Activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan slammed the government for “grounding the Lokpal to dust by appointing servile members who turn a blind eye to graft while indulging in luxury,” pointing to the Rs 70 lakh BMWs as a glaring example.

The Congress’s youth wing also responded, stating that “the institution of Lokpal, once a symbol of accountability, lies in ruins… and yet, luxury foreign cars are being bought while key appointments remain unfilled.”

Social media users are slamming the move left, right and centre, ridiculing the government’s choice of luxury cars for an anti-corruption body.

One sarcastically quipped, “They could have gone for a Rolls Royce worth Rs 12 crore, but they settled for BMW, because, of course, they are modest, down-to-earth people.”