Team Anna softens tone, but sticks to demand for strong Lok Pal Bill

Says agitation against corruption will be intensified if Anna’s version is not adopted.

The language used by the Anna Hazare-led India Against Corruption (IAC) may have moderated. But as Anna Hazare gets ready for a three-day fast in Mumbai, which coincides with the extended Winter Session of Parliament when the Lok Pal Bill will be discussed and may even be passed, IAC’s demands remain unchanged, suggesting that the anti-corruption crusaders are keeping their powder dry to restart the agitation.

Speaking to reporters on Monday in Mumbai, IAC member Arvind Kejriwal said that the three-day fast by Anna Hazare beginning tomorrow is not a protest but an appeal. “We want to fast and appeal to the political parties to come out with a strong Lok Pal Bill with the necessary amendments,’’ Kejriwal said.

Another core committee member, Prashant Bhushan, said that the protests would be called off “if there are indications that the government is ready to make the changes.’’

IAC has also voiced that if its demands remain unchanged the agitation will be intensified after the Parliament session. Anna Hazare’s letter yesterday listed the demands, which include inclusion of investigative powers, inclusion of lower bureaucracy and giving the Lok Pal the powers to take up cases suo motu.

The people have been requested to hold dharnas outside the houses of MPs who are opposing a strong Lok Pal Bill or are supporting the government’s new Bill in Parliament, Bhushan said. “The plan to sit on dharna outside the MPs’ houses will be called off only if the government agrees to make amendments in the proposed legislation. Anna will arrive in Delhi on December 30 for a dharna outside an MP’s house...It could be Sonia Gandhi’s or Rahul Gandhi’s house...That will be decided...It will depend on what transpires in Parliament,” Bhushan added.

Kiran Bedi, core committee member, said that if the Bill was passed without changes, the agitation would be intensified because IAC did not approve of the Bill in its current form.

While Anna Hazare is all set to begin his three-day fast tomorrow in Mumbai, accompanied by Kejriwal and Bedi, many core committee members like Shanti Bhushan, Devinder Sharma, Arvind Gaur and others will hold a parallel protest for three days in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan.

Left parties on Monday said they were in favour of a strong Lok Pal but advised Anna Hazare to be more “flexible” and to let Parliament debate and decide on the issue.

“We are against placing the CBI under Lokpal, as is being demanded by Anna Hazare,” CPI deputy general secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy said in Hyderabad. “Lokpal with absolute powers over legislature and executive may emerge as a super power,’’ he said. “There is no guarantee that the Lokpal would not do what the governments of the day are doing. CBI should have autonomy. CBI is being used by the ruling party as a tool to harass political rivals. So, we favour autonomy and accountability of CBI,” Reddy said.

The CPI(M) on Monday said it would seek amendments that includes creation of a separate investigation wing to further strengthen the Bill, which is “ineffective” in its present form, politburo member Sitaram Yechury said.

With strong opposition from BJP and Left parties regarding some of the clauses, the passage of the Bill cannot be predicted.

Of the 545 members of the Lok Sabha, 252 (if Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal, which are otherwise allies of the government but opposed to several aspects of the Lok Pal Bill are included in this list) are against one or other aspect of the bill. Therefore, the government has to ensure that all those on its side are present and voting in the House.