CHENNAI/NEW DELHI, Dec 15:
With BJP promising support, the Centre was today optimistic that the amended Lokpal bill will be passed in Rajya Sabha tomorrow even as the face-off between Anna Hazare and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal over the anti-graft measure continued.
Citing the support of BJP to the Lokpal bill, Congress hoped that UPA’s key outside ally Samajwadi Party will reconsider its strong Opposition to the anti-graft measure. The SP yesterday warned it could go to “any extent” in Parliament for blocking the legislation.
As the Centre was geared up for the passage of the bill in the Raja Sabha, Kejriwal rejected it as “weak” and ineffective and insufficient to even send a “mouse” to jail, forget a Minister.
Hazare responded with a jibe at his former protege, saying if anyone feels there are shortcomings in the bill after it is passed, they should fast for it.
“Chances are high that the bill will be passed in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow,” Union Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy told reporters at Chennai airport.
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley yesterday said his party was ready to support Lokpal even without a discussion after he alleged that Congress and its allies all along were blocking the passage of the legislation.
The bill among other things delinks setting up of Lokayuktas in States, a highly controversial provision that led many parties to opposed it in Rajya Sabha last December.
“Compliment Rahul Gandhi for coming out strongly in favour of Lok Pal and Arun Jaitley also for supporting it. Hope SP would reconsider,” AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh said on Twitter.
Kejriwal told reporters in Delhi that nobody except Congress will be benefited by the passage of the bill while Rahul Gandhi will get the credit for it.
Kejriwal also said he was saddened by Hazare’s stand that he would break his fast if the Lokpal bill is passed, warning that the proposed legislation will not prevent corruption but instead work to “protect the corrupt”.
“Forget about any Minister, not even a mouse will go to jail if this bill is enacted. I can assure you that there would not be a single conviction with this Lokpal in next 10 years. I pondered over who will gain from this Lokpal bill. I found that Congress would gain and its Vice President Rahul Gandhi will get some credit for its passage,” Kejriwal said.
Hazare said in Ralegan Siddhi he had read the provisions of the bill properly.
“If you (Kejriwal) think the bill has any shortcomings, fast for it,” Hazare, whose fast for passage of Jan Lokpal bill entered sixth day today, told reporters.
The anti-graft crusader said several of his expectations from the legislation have been met and expressed satisfaction over the bill which has been presented in the Rajya Sabha.
Asked about any differences between him and Kejriwal, he said, “I don’t wish to comment…I don’t want to say anything about them…Why should we quarrel?…Let him focus on his thoughts. The truth is truth and it shall prevail.”
He said three issues for which he had campaigned in the past, including Citizen’s Charter, has been addressed.
“Government’s control over CBI has been removed in this bill. I saw 13 such points and told the Government that I welcome this,” he said, adding, “That is why I thought that the bill is beneficial to the people and country.”
“I told the Government that I am thankful for tabling the Bill in Rajya Sabha. Bring it in both the Houses in this session itself. If need be, extend the session of Parliament.
“There are still five days left for the session to end. If you so desire, it can be brought in both the Houses during this period. If there is paucity of time, extend it by a few days,” he said.
“However, I am confident that this need may not arise as people are saying that the bill would be the first thing to be taken up in Rajya Sabha tomorrow,” he said.
Thanking major political parties, including Congress, BJP and the Left for supporting the bill, Hazare said, a few are not supporting it. “So, if there is a ruckus during passage of the bill, pass it amid ruckus, but pass it anyhow,” he said.
Hazare, however, suggested reducing the fine on the complainant found to have filed frivolous complaints.
He also suggested that Government should restrict the number of times an individual can seek information while taking a jibe at activists who have made it their profession.
His associate Kiran Bedi said, “If some people are saying that the current Lokpal bill is weak, they haven’t read it properly. They must read it.”
As per the provisions of the bill, if any matter is given to CBI, the Government will not interfere, she said.
“Kejriwal should re-read the bill,” the former IPS officer said, adding that she will be in Delhi to watch the Rajya Sabha proceedings and will inform Anna.
“Those who are calling the bill ‘Jokepal’ have not read and understood it. They should go through the draft and then jump to conclusions,” she said.
Criticising the bill in present form, Kejriwal said the bill which was passed on August 11, 2011 had the provision of an independent investigating machinery for the Lokpal.
“But today, how can we accept this weak Lokpal. We will continue with our agitation for Janlokpal and make the people aware that Parliament has failed to keep its three assurances made to Hazare to break his fast,” he said.
To suggestions that provisions from Janlokpal bill can be added to the legislation once it is enacted, Kejriwal retorted, “when they don’t commit corruption in installments, then why do they want to give us a law in installments?”.
Attacking the Government, he said, “What do they think, it is a retail shop or what? Why don’t they make a strict law in one go, instead of making is piecemeal?”
Asked about the possibility of formation of Government in Delhi, Kejriwal said they were awaiting the reply from Congress and BJP about their stand on 18 important issues, “which were mainly created by them”.
He said he was trying to do “politics of consensus” and not “shying away from responsibility”and that’s why he had sought the stand of both the parties, who were ready to extend “support” to his Government.
“Congress had been saying they were giving unconditional support, while BJP constructive support. In political parlance, it means we won’t let you run the Government and in politics and love, nothing is unconditional, there are some conditions.
“They should stop playing politics and do some serious stuff and give their replies. If all the three parties — BJP, Congress and AAP — are ready, all the issues would be resolved within minutes,” he said.
The AAP leader said they would go to the people with the replies of both the parties and “we would put it in public domain and also take it to them through public meetings and seek their opinion on whether we should form the Government or not.
“We will conduct public meetings in 270 municipal wards, after getting the reply from Congress and BJP,” he said, adding and if people will ask us to form the Government then “we would do that and even show how a Government is run”. (PTI)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel