Hazare, team to testify before Lok Pal Bill panel

Social activist Anna Hazare and his representatives are due to appear before the standing committee of Parliament scrutinising the government’s Lok Pal legislation this week, on Thursday and Friday. He also wrote to the Prime Minister on Tuesday that he’d resume his earlier indefinite hunger strike if an effective Bill is not passed in the coming session.

This would be Hazare’s and his group's second appearance before the committee. A panel member said, “We are aiming at finalising our report by November 22. So, this is possibly the last opportunity for Anna’s representatives to put across their views.”

As it happens, Hazare is supposed to be on ‘maun vrat’ and could skip the committee meeting. Observed a committee member, tongue in cheek, “He should come and appear as he has done in the past, because he has very little to contribute at the sessions”

He leaves it to others like Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal to speak.”

On the earlier occasion Hazare’d appeared before the committee, it was soon after the Bill had been referred to it.

This second appearance also occurs in the backdrop of the various controversies and allegations that have enmeshed core members of the Hazare team.

In his letter on Tuesday, Hazare noted he’d withdrawn his 12-day fast during the monsoon session of Parliament after a written assurance from the PM that a strong Lok Pal law would be passed.

The standing committee is headed by Abishek Manu Singhvi, the Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP; he’s also one of the party’s spokesmen. The panel had to be reconstituted in late August, after the earlier committee was dissolved. Singhvi has publicly stated this pushed back the committee’s work by an entire month, as new members had to be appointed. It was supposed to give its report within three months.

The committee is also looking into the issue of bestowing constitutional status to the proposed Lok Pal authority, a suggestion put forward by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi. Constitutional experts, including former two Chief Justices of India, J S Verma and M N Venkatachaliah, have also put forward their views on this. The committee is studying the pros and cons. A constitutional status to the Lokpal would require an amendment in the Constitution and the support of a two-thirds majority in each House.