Anna's rebuff: 'Lokpal is not parallel government'

Gandhian Anna Hazare announced another fast over the Lokpal Bill today, making it more evident that any hope of a consensus on the controversial bill between the two warring parties, a brief glimpse of which we had after the eighth meeting, was an illusion. Accusing the government of misleading the people of India, Anna slammed the government’s claim that the civil society’s proposed Lokpal will be equivalent to a parallel government. [caption id=“attachment_29772” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Anna questioned the government’s intention to curb corruption. Subhav Shukla/PTI”]  [/caption] Talking about the several points on which he differs with the government at a press conference in New Delhi, Anna questioned the government’s intention to curb corruption. “Why is the government not agreeing to bring CBI and other investigative agencies under Lokpal’s ambit? It seems government is not serious about corruption,” he asked. Team Anna took on the government on various points in the proposed draft. Former IPS officer and one of Anna’s companions in the crusade, Kiran Bedi said, “There is nothing for the common man in the government’s version of the bill. The common man is directly concerned with the lower bureaucracy but the government’s version of the bill only covers higher bureaucracy.” Attacking the government further, Arvind Kejriwal said, “Though the bill covers 65,000 government officers, more than 15 lakh NGOs come under its purview. Government should make it clear whether it is for checking the corruption of bureaucrats or the NGOs.” The key areas on which differences persisted, even after the ninth meeting, included bringing the prime minister, higher judiciary and acts of MPs inside Parliament within the purview of the Lokpal, the mode of selection and removal of its members. The government’s version of the draft, which was unveiled at the meeting, excludes the prime minister. While Kapil Sibal said yesterday that both the drafts will be circulated among political parties next month before being taken up by the cabinet, Anna said today that he would go ahead with his fast on 16 August and sought support for his proposed hunger strike.