Pass Lokpal bill, Rahul appeals to parties

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by a battery of senior ministers, Saturday appealed to all political parties to pass the Lokpal bill in parliament as it was a matter of "national importance" and will be a "serious weapon to fight corruption."

"What we have now is a bill where we have broad consensus. Congress party fully supports this bill and we would like the opposition and other party members to work with us and help us pass it in parliament," said Gandhi, flanked by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, Law Minister Kapil Sibal and V Narayanasamy, minister in the Prime Minister's Office.

The Lokpal bill, which has been passed in the Lok Sabha, will be discussed in the Rajya Sabha Monday.

Gandhi said: "We are 99 percent there and if we get the support of all the parties we can pass this bill which I think is very important," he said.

He said as passing the bill is of "national importance", he would like "all the parties put aside their concerns and support us.

"We need other parties to work with us. All other parties the BJP and others... All parties should do this together. The Congress party will fully support it, I request other parties to support it as this is a matter of national importance.

"It is not that we do not want to pass the bill. We have been working. This is to do with corruption and providing a serious weapon to fight corruption, similar to the RTI. It is a requirement," he added.