Anna Hazare breaks fast, thanks all parties for supporting Lokpal Bill

Veteran social activist Anna Hazare ended his nine-day fast on Wednesday after the Lok Sabha passed the amended version of the Lokpal Bill by a voice vote.

Addressing a gathering here, Hazare thanked the government and Members of Parliament for passing the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill.

"I want to thank Parliament's Select Committee for strengthening the Lokpal Bill. All parties supported this Lokpal Bill for the benefit of the society, the country, I thank them. Through this Lokpal Bill, 40-50 percent corruption can be controlled, poor will get justice, "said Hazare.

"Other than those from the Samajwadi Party, I salute all MPs in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha for giving us this anti-corruption law," he added.

He further said that people have to be vigilant, only then, will they benefit from this law.

"We want to form committees of retired judges and top cops to suggest and monitor the implementation of Lokpal. Only a law will not help. We have to see how the Lokpal is implemented," he added.

The Lok Sabha, as expected, passed the amended version of the Lokpal Bill by a voice vote here on Wednesday afternoon, even as the Samajwadi Party opted to walk out of the House in protest over its passage.

The Lower House passed the Lokpal Bill a day after the Rajya Sabha had passed it, thus paving the way for the setting up of an ombudsman to battle corruption in the government and among public servants.

Wednesday's discussion and debate of the Bill lasted for about two hours. It was preceded by a nearly five-hour-long our-hour debate and discussion in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Tuesday's debate took place in an atmosphere of rare political consensus.

Replying to five-hour long debate, Law Minister, Kapil Sibal urged the states to take up this bill as a model and pass the Lokayuktas Bill as early as possible. He said the Lokpal is supposed to investigate cases of corruption against elected representatives of the public and the public servants.

Earlier, initiating the discussion on the Bill, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said that his party is supporting the bill. Jaitley pointed out that there should not be religion-based reservations in the institution of the proposed Lokpal.

The government has agreed to incorporate a key amendment demanded by the opposition BJP, which allows searches or raids by the CBI or police on an officer accused of corruption without notice.

The proposed anti-graft law provides for a Lokpal or national ombudsman to investigate corruption charges against public functionaries.

The Lok Sabha had passed the Lokpal Bill in 2011 to create a Central Lokayukta.

Transparency's landmark 2005 study of corruption in India found that as many as 62 percent of all citizens have had first-hand experience in paying bribes or using influence peddling to get jobs done in public offices.