Anna team writes to Pranab, questions comparitive analysis

The Anna Hazare team today hit out at the government accusing it of giving an inaccurate version of the civil society draft on Lok Pal and demanded that its version be given equal weightage.

In a letter to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, joint drafting committee co-chairman Shanti Bhushan took objection to the comparitive analysis released by Law Minister M Veerappa Moily and said anyone reading it will be completely in the dark about the provisions of their version of Lok Pal.

"This chart does not present Jan Lok Pal Bill accurately. Whereas there are inaccuracies at many places, the sections from Jan Lok Pal Bill have also not been fully quoted at many other places. Any person reading this chart will be completely in the dark about the provisions of the Jan Lok Pal Bill," Bhushan said.

At the joint drafting committee meeting on June 22, he said there was no consensus on a common draft with five members endorsing one version whereas the other five favouring the second one.

"Therefore, both the drafts enjoy equal weightage as far as the outcome of the joint committee is concerned. I would still urge you to treat both the drafts as the outcome of the joint committee," Bhushan said.

The letter came in the backdrop of the government releasing a comparative statement on the drafts prepared by the government side and the Hazare team, which Bhushan alleged did not "accurately" present the civil society views.

However, Bhushan said if the government wishes to combine the two in the form of a chart, they can make an attempt to do that but with the concurrence of all members of joint panel.