New Delhi, April 08: With the anti-corruption movement spearheaded by Anna Hazare garnering unprecedented support from the aam admi, the government has gone into a huddle over ways to end the deadlock. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has convened a crucial meeting at his residence Friday morning to find a way out even as the government has rejected Anna Hazare’s demand that an official notification be issued on the formation of the joint committee that will redraft the Lokpal Bill.
The meeting at 7 Race Course Road is being attended by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, her political secretary Ahmed Patel and Kapil Sibal, who has been mediating with Anna Hazare till now. What has made things more difficult for the Centre is the announcement by Anna’s crusaders that they want to directly meet Sonia Gandhi with their demands and not mediators like Sibal.
However, Hazare’s representatives Swami Agnivesh and Arvind Kejriwal are scheduled to meet Sibal at 6 pm today.
Yesterday, representatives of Anna Hazare – Swami Agnivesh and Arvind Kejriwal – had held two rounds of discussions with Sibal, following which the government agreed to three key demands: formation of a joint committee with five members each from government and civil society, immediate setting up of the panel and bringing the Bill in Monsoon session.
Hazare is unimpressed as the government wants the committee to be informal as against his demand that a government notification be issued to ensure legal sanctity to the committee recommendations.
Sonia said she was pained by Hazare’s fast. “The issue he has raised are of grave public concern. There could be no two views on combating graft in public life. I believe the laws in these matters must be effective and deliver desired results,” she said.
In response, Hazare asked Gandhi to tell her government to get the Lokpal bill enacted at the earliest.
“I will fight till death,” Hazare had said addressing hundreds of supporters gathered near Jantar Mantar here after word spread that talks between government and anti-corruption activists were deadlocked.
–Agencies