Anna's fast postponed, alleges Congress sabotaged Lokpal bill

New Delhi: Anna Hazare’s one-day fast in Delhi has now been rescheduled to March 25 and Team Anna today accused the ruling Congress of “sabotaging” the Jan Lokpal Bill. Hazare was originally to sit on a day-long fast on March 18. “The country knows it well that the Congress sabotaged the Jan Lokpal bill meant to bring culprits to book in a speedy manner. If the Janlok Pal would have been implemented justice would not have remained elusive,” Team Anna in a statement. [caption id=“attachment_244435” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Anna Hazare is to protest against the murder of MP IPS officer Narendra Singh. PTI”]  [/caption] Hazare is planning to sit on hunger strike demanding justice for slain IPS officer Narendra Kumar and a strong law to protect whistleblowers. The IPS officer Kumar was allegedly killed by the mining mafia in Madhya Pradesh. This will be the first hunger strike undertaken by 74-year-old Hazare after he called off his three-day fast for a strong Lokpal Bill in Mumbai last December due to failing health. It comes close on the heels of Congress’ poor show in the recent assembly polls in five states. “Hazare has invited several families to be a part of one-day fast for a stronger whistle blower protection mechanism under the Jan Lokpal Bill, and owing to the short notice for the participants, the event that was going to be held of March 18 earlier, will now be held on March 25,” a statement said. “At least 15 people, who tried to blow lid of the corruption scams or fought the menace in other ways, have been killed since 2010. These gory killings have brought to fore the need for a strong whistle-blowers protection system, under control of Jan Lokpal and Jan Lokayukta,” it said. During the Assembly elections, Team Anna had campaigned for a strong Lokpal though it had not supported any single party. However, Congress leaders had claimed that the tone and tenor of their campaign was anti-Congress. In the statement, Team Anna said, while the Jan Lokpal ensures security to the whistle blowers, the proposed bill on the issue floated by the UPA government is “inadequate and gives the responsibilities without powers to CVC”. “The CVC is a designated authority to receive complaints and to ensure adequate protection to the whistleblowers under the Public Interest Disclosure and Protection of Informers Resolution (PIDPI). “One of the limitations faced by the Commission under the resolution is that the Commission has not been provided with enforcement powers nor has it been made mandatory for the administrative authorities to comply with CVC’s directives to protect whistleblowers from harassment,” it said. PTI