Senior Congress Leader and Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Raises Questions
The country’s top anti-corruption body, the Lokpal, is currently in the spotlight over one of its recent decisions. The institution has reportedly issued a tender to purchase seven luxury BMW cars, with an estimated total cost of around ₹5 crore. This move has drawn sharp criticism from senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Chidambaram questioned, “When Supreme Court judges travel in sedans, why do the Lokpal Chairperson and six members need BMWs? Why should these vehicles be purchased with public money?” He further expressed hope that at least one or two members of the Lokpal would decline to accept the cars.
Chidambaram’s remarks came following a media report revealing that the Lokpal had floated a tender for the procurement of seven BMW vehicles. According to official documents, all the cars will be white in color and must be delivered to the Lokpal office located in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, within two weeks. The tender also specifies that the supplier must provide a seven-day special training program for the Lokpal drivers to operate the BMWs.
