M A I N   N E W S

No rift over draft panel: Hazare
Faraz Ahmad/TNS

New Delhi, April 10
Anna Hazare, who broke his fast yesterday after government conceded to his demands on the proposed Lokpal Bill, seemed to have “resolved the differences” among his supporters over the composition of the drafting committee.

Soon as Hazare appointed former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan and his son Prashant Bhushan to the committee, media reported Baba Ramdev’s objections to the inclusion of both father and son in the panel.

Questions were also raised why retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi, a prominent campaigner for the Lokpal Bill, did not find a place in this committee. Flanked by Kiran Bedi and Right to Information activist Arvind Kejriwal, Hazare addresed the media at the Press Club of India today. “There are no differences among us regarding the constitution of the panel. Nobody has objected to the members of the committee,” he told reporters. On Kiran Bedi, Hazare said: “She said I don’t want to be on this panel.”

Curiously, Ramdev also distanced himself from the controversy with his functionary claiming that someone from the media had raised the question with the yoga guru. “But he never raised the issue of dynasty,” he said.

Simultaneously, National Advisory Council member Arun Roy, too, has welcomed the move. Her organisation Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan stated: “The MKSS congratulates Anna Hazare on large-scale mobilisation of people against corruption and for creating a space for the civil society to take part in the formulation of an important legislation like the Lok Pal Bill. We hope that this committee will facilitate broad public consultation across groups and regions in order to evolve a comprehensive and effective Bill to be tabled in Parliament.”

But there are still questions from various quarters on the final outcome of the Lokpal Bill. Addressing some of the concerns, Hazare announced that the drafting process will be videographed to maintain complete transparency.

Defending his insistence to include civil rights activists in the drafting process, Hazare said, “Every voter owns this nation.” But he denied attempting to destroy the credibility of Parliament and elected representatives and quipped, “I have full faith in Parliament.” Overwhelmed by the response he received during his four- day fast, Anna admitted that the response had turned out to be far beyond his expectations. “I didn’t expect the kind of response I got,” he said.

However, Anna’s ‘victory’ seemed to have not gone down well with the NCP. “The way Anna Hazare got his demand met is not correct and the government has committed a mistake by accepting his demands,” NCP general secretary Tariq Anwar said in Patna.

“Every citizen of the country has the democratic right to exert pressure on the Centre for conceding his demand ...But not the kind of pressure Hazare thrust upon the Centre,” he said. “There was a constitution and law in the country ... There are several other methods through which corruption can be fought effectively,” the NCP leader added.

Anna has been fighting a relentless battle against NCP chief Sharad Pawar, charging him with corruption. The NCP seemed visibly upset with the government succumbing to a “Pawar baiter”.

Pawar had to announce withdrawal from the Group of Ministers against corruption which was to finalise the Lokpal Bill after Hazare specifically objected to his presence in the group. Curiously, a section of the media released a report from Mumbai, quoting a letter Hazare purportedly wrote to Pawar to join the movement.