“When we discuss the Bill, whether in Parliament or the committee, we will work with a single-minded devotion to ensure an effective Bill. The Standing Committee can consider all options and we can find ways of ensuring that the Bill prepared by Anna is given due consideration by the Committee. Along with this there are other Bills…,” he said, defending himself and the Government over charges BJP’s Murli Manohar Joshi had yesterday levelled during the debate on the issue.

With the two sides under pressure to end the persisting logjam at the earliest, both pulled back from the brink to meet each other half-way.

The debate, which is to be held under rule 193, will end with the adoption of a motion committing Parliament to the enactment of a strong and effective Lokpal Bill but there will be no vote on the Bill. The records of this debate will then be sent for the consideration of the Parliamentary standing committee on law and justice, which is already scrutinising the Lokpal Bill.

On its part, Team Anna dropped its earlier conditions that its version of the Bill be introduced in Parliament within the next four days and passed in the ongoing session without it being referred to the standing committee. Kiran Bedi, a key member of Team Anna, declared this evening that Anna Hazare will end his fast if the Lok Sabha adopts a motion on bringing in a strong Lokpal Bill.

At one stage, Hazare had set August 30 for the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill but today it insisted that tomorrow’s discussions take note of its three key outstanding demands: a single Bill for a Lokpal and state Lokayuktas, bring lower bureaucracy under the Lokpal and draw up citizen’s charter for each ministry. The government’s formulation, which was articulated by the Prime Minister in his reply to the debate on corruption in the Lok Sabha, has enabled both sides to claim victory. While Team Anna can draw satisfaction from the fact that it forced a debate on its version of the Bill in the Lok Sabha, the government has been able to ensure that Parliamentary procedures are not short-circuited. It stood its ground that nobody should be allowed to dictate terms to Parliament, a view which was endorsed by all political parties. Although it had appeared that the negotiations between the two sides had hit a dead end last night, fresh attempts were made today to end the ongoing impasse. Sidelining members of his team, whose stand was clearly inflexible, the government reached out to Anna directly through Union Minister and former Maharashtra CM Vilasrao Deshmukh, who first met with him in the afternoon.

The government’s decision to approach Anna Hazare directly followed when the Gandhian sent feelers that he was amenable to a compromise provided a senior political leader was depute to meet him. There was also a realisation in the government that Anna Hazare had become a prisoner of his team members who are hardliners and are also divided. This was evident when Kiran Bedi, the Gandhian’s key associate, told a news channel, that Anna Hazare will call off his fast if the Parliament adopts a motion on the enactment of a strong Lokpal Bill. She was, however, contradicted by another Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan, who said there was no going back until the motion took a clear view on the three sticking points on which there was no agreement with the government.