Govt not committed to a strong Lokpal: Anna

Ralegan Siddhi, November 30: Gandhian Anna Hazare on Wednesday hit out at the government saying that it was not committed to a strong Lokpal Bill.

Addressing mediapersons here, Hazare said, “There is a deliberate attempt to weaken the Lokpal bill.”

The Gandhian outrightly rejected the draft report of the Lokpal Bill in its present form.

Hazare, yesterday, made it very clear that he will agitate again if a strong bill is not passed in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.

On an emotional note, Anna asked people to support his campaign to fight corruption once more like they had, earlier.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee going into the Lokpal Bill has recommended keeping the judiciary and MPs’ conduct in the House out of its purview and rejected the demand for hiving off the prosecution wing of CBI to come under its jurisdiction.

However, even the draft document has not taken a position on inclusion of Prime Minister in the ambit of Lokpal.

The draft report on the Bill, which has been circulated to members and would come up for finalisation on November 30, favours Lokpal’s jurisdiction over corporates, media and NGOs so far as receipt of donations from public within the country or from foreign sources.

—-Agencies