Govt should resign on moral ground: BJP

New Delhi: With the Constitution Amendment Bill on Lokpal failing in Lok Sabha, the BJP on Tuesday night demanded resignation of the UPA Government on moral grounds.

"Government should resign on moral grounds. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has no moral right to continue in office," BJP leader Yashwant Sinha told reporters after the embarrassing development for the Government.

He noted that the Government could not muster even simple majority of 273 votes in favour as it managed only 250 votes on the crucial legislation.

"I had said during my speech that Prime Minister spoke as if he was making his farewell speech. If any morality left is left in them, they should quit," Sinha said.

On the attack by Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee for the defeat of the bill, he said he was indulging in politics.

Sinha said it was the Government's responsibility to ensure the requisite numbers in the House and not that of the Opposition.

CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said the Government should "look into the mirror" as it could not mobilise the required strength for the Constitution Amendment Bill.

He said the Lokpal was no more a Lokpal "but only its caricature".

Minister of State for DoPT V Narayanasamy, who had moved the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, said, "We will bring the Bill to Rajya Sabha. We will try hard for its passage there despite knowing that we don't have a majority."

BJP leader Gopinath Munde also demanded that the UPA Government should quit on moral grounds as they "miserably failed" to garner the requisite support.

Reacting to the charges, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi trained guns on the BJP for the defeat of the bill, saying "a good idea ought not to have been rejected only for political reasons".

"How can those who have rejected the Bill justify their conduct in light of the need for a Lokpal within an enhanced status," he said.

Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee blamed the CPI-M and other Left parties for "colluding with the BJP" to defeat the legislation.

Union Minister Kapil Sibal said the BJP has "shown its true colour. They never wanted any law to fight corruption".

"The Opposition is a stumbling block and they will pay for it," he said.

Sibal's Cabinet colleague Salman Khurshid said the BJP "betrayed us".