JOIN USTeam Anna reaches out to leaders
Anna will meet UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Thursday and the BJP leaders on Friday.
Though, most of the parties have formed their opinions on the contentious issues, Team Anna is leaving no stone unturned to make the discourse on anti-graft institution wider.
“We will meet political leaders as well as different groups to make them aware of our version of the Lokapal Bill. We will ask them to consider the importance of the suggestions we have made,” Hazare told the media.
Anna, Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi met CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat in the afternoon and discussed the draft. “The CPM is for inclusion of the prime minister and bureaucracy below joint secretary level. Karat was for an inclusive Lokpal which includes merger of anti-corruption wing of the CBI with Lokpal,” said Bedi after their meeting with Karat.
Rashtriya Lok Dal Chief Ajit Singh was very much appreciative of his meeting with Team Anna and expressed general support to the version of the civil society’s draft bill.
“I did not know in detail the provisions of the Jan Lokpal Bill. The team explained it to me. By and large, I agree with the bill. Our national executive will take a final view on the issue,” he said.
Team Anna met NDA convener and JDU chief Sharad Yadav this evening. “We will decide on the matter. We appreciate efforts of the civil society to highlight the issue of corruption. However, Parliament will have the ultimate say on this,” said the JDU chief.
Reacting to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh personally favoring the proposal of bringing the prime minister under the purview of Lokpal Bill, Anna wanted the prime minister to evolve a consensus. “The Cabinet belongs to the country. They are our people. They should understand the importance of the Bill. Consensus in the Cabinet is must,” said Anna.
“The prime minister shall perhaps need to go by his personal call of conscience and take a stand like he did on nuclear power,” Bedi said.