Chandigarh, June 14 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Tuesday said that the prime minister should not be included with in the ambit of the proposed Lokpal bill.

 
 Badal said the prime minister has to discharge extremely sensitive duties while dealing with several international and diplomatic issues, which warranted certain norms to maintain the secrecy of office.
 
 Talking to reporters at Amloh town, 80 km from here, Badal said  all chief ministers, entire judiciary, including the chief justice and judges of Supreme Court and high courts, should be brought under the purview of proposed Lokpal bill.
 
 Badal said: "The office of the prime minister should be excluded from the proposed Lokpal bill in the larger national interest."
 
 Lashing out at the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA)  government, the Akali Dal chief minister said that it had miserably failed on all fronts to curb the menace of poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and corruption despite its tall claims.
 
 He said that the Akali Dal will hold protests across Punjab Thursday against corruption and high inflation.