Govt, BJP iron out issues

Ministers in the United Progressive Alliance government had a long session on Monday to ‘clean up’ the Lok Pal Bill, likely to be cleared by the Cabinet on Tuesday and introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday itself or Wednesday and the following day in the Rajya Sabha.

However, as contours of the Bill filtered out, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said if the Prime Minister was covered by the Lok Pal subject to conditions and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continued to be under the administrative control of the government, “hum bhi nahin manenge aur Anna bhi nahin manenge” (neither we will accept it nor Anna Hazare).

BJP leaders said ring-fencing investigation into charges of corruption against the PM would give the party an opportunity to join Hazare on the stage when he restarts his anti-graft agitation from December 27.

The government, it is learnt, knows the BJP will join the Hazare bandwagon and will treat the agitation like any other public meeting. “Those who have to take action (against such congregations) will take action,” a minister told Business Standard.

For the BJP, ring-fencing the PM means proceedings will be in camera and will never be made public, put beyond the pale of the Right to Information Act. As negotiations on the Bill reach the final stages, it’s not clear what the government’s version contains. But these provisions are unacceptable to the BJP.

The BJP wants the appointment of the CBI director to be independent. The Lok Pal be allowed to refer cases to CBI and neither the government nor the Lok Pal be allowed to interfere in investigation, the party demands.

It’s almost certain when the Bill is made public tomorrow, the BJP will find something to object to. All it’s waiting for is to join the Hazare protest.