Anna writes to PM: No Lok Pal without CBI

Social activist Anna Hazare has hardened his position on the inclusion of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the Lok Pal.

The septuagenarian, in a letter to the prime minister said on Saturday he would not want a Lok Pal if the CBI was not brought under it. The government is working towards a new strategy on the CBI. A Cabinet meeting would be held tomorrow at 7.30 pm.

Hazare’s orgsanisation, India Against Corruption (IAC), wants the CBI to be controlled by the Lok Pal. But according to a new plan, on which the government is working, the CBI would investigate cases handed over by the Lok Pal for the time as suggested by the Standing Committee on Lok Pal. But at a later stage, as and when the Lok Pal has a better idea of its workload, which the CBI may not be able to handle on its own, an investigative wing would be developed within the Lok Pal to look at these cases.

Prashant Bhushan, a core member of IAC, said the Lok Pal should have administrative control over the CBI and should have powers to control postings, promotions and transfers. If other departments did this, the CBI would be still under the government control and the Lok Pal would become ineffective.

As for the government's new formula, he asks: Why can’t the government create the investigative agency for Lok Pal now? Why wait? According to Shanti Bhushan, senior lawyer and another core committee member of IAC, there was no question of the team accepting CBI in its present form. “How would corruption go if the CBI continues to remain the way it is?” he asks “If an independent investigative agency is to be made under the Lok Pal, it should be done now and the latter should have control over it, as far as appointments, transfers and other matters go. This is what international conventions ask for too. If the CBI in its present form investigates the cases, then what is the use of the Lok Pal?”

Anna Hazare and his team seem to have homed in on the CBI and investigative powers as the single-most crucial component in the Lok Pal, and have taken the position that any Bill without the investigative agency is unacceptable, as Bhushan says.

In his letter Hazare says: “So, would the Lok Pal have no investigative powers? Won’t Lok Pal have its own investigative agency? What would it do without such an agency? If this is true, it is better you don’t create a Lok Pal at all.''

The adamant stance on CBI is a new point as the three demands he had made to the government before calling off his fast at Ramlila Maidan in August did not include this. The demand then was inclusion of the lower bureaucracy, citizen's charter and grievance redressal.

Parliament had unanimously agreed to this while the standing committee led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi in its report put the lower bureaucracy under the jurisdiction of the Central Vigilance Commission. Two separate Bills are being passed on citizen's charter and the grievance redressal, too.

In his letter, Anna merely regrets there would be a delay of a few months before the citizens charter Bill becomes a law.

It is totally silent on inclusion of lower bureaucracy and grievance redressal.