Justice Hegde stays, team sticks together

Team Anna Hazare on Saturday declared that it would stick together and former Supreme Court judge and Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde would stay on as one of the six civil society members of the joint committee formed to draft the Lok Pal Bill.

Hegde had arrived in New Delhi to hold a meeting with members of the committee after statements by Congress leader Digvijay Singh raising questions over his integrity as a Lokayukta and his leanings towards the BJP. He had expressed a wish to quit earlier and had also hinted at being disturbed by allegations against two other members lawyers Shanti Bhushan and his son Prashan Bhushan.

Speaking on behalf of the rest of the members, Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi told reporters in the evening on Saturday at the Maharashtra Sadan here that none of the members were quitting the joint committee.

Anna Hazare, who is staying at the Sadan, did not come out and the other members Swami Agnivesh, Prashant Bhushan, co-chairman of the joint committee Shanti Bhushan and Santosh Hegde also stayed inside while the media was briefed on the meeting that they had held for around one and a half hour.

Hegde, while entering the Sadan for the meeting, had told the media that he had not taken any decision on his continuation in the committee.

However, Kejriwal said Hegde would continue to be a part of the movement.

"We have decided it is the prime duty of the movement to provide an effective, independent and accountable anti-corruption agency and hence Hegde will be part of the movement,'' Bedi said, reading out a statement.

They said they would write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Chief Justice of India to conduct independent inquiries into all allegations raised against any of the members.

The movement also unveiled a plan to reach out to the masses through public consultations and yatras throughout the country, starting from tomorrow.

The first of the consultations on the proposed Lok Pal Bill will be held tomorrow in Delhi under the leadership of Dr Jai Prakash Narayan of the Lok Satta. The consultation would be with senior eminent citizens, including retired judges, former chief election commissioners and members of the judiciary. Activist Medha Patkar will hold consultations with NGOs and civil society on May 8.

Other consultations are scheduled for April 26, 27 and 29. The movement also announced a bilingual website lokpalbillconsultation.org on which suggestions from the public would be accepted on the Jan Lok Pal Bill.