People in Bangalore continue protests in support of Hazare

Fighting corruption: Organisers of the movement come up with new pressure tactics

Anti-corruption activists reached the residences and offices of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members asking them to play the role of their representatives and help in the legislation of the Jan Lokpal Bill in the current session.

The strongest demonstration took place at the residence of the Bangalore South Lok Sabha member, Ananth Kumar, on Ranoji Rao Street in Basavanagudi, as the demonstrators pinned their hopes on him. They said they had voted for him to represent them in the Lok Sabha and now they expected him to table the Jan Lokpal Bill and discard the government’s Lokpal Bill.

In return, Ananth Kumar assured the demonstrators that he would surely oppose the government’s Lokpal Bill as it is “toothless and very weak”.

“We have been opposing government’s Lokpal as it is nothing but an eyewash. We will ensure that a strong Lokpal Bill is passed, under whose purview the prime minister, the judiciary and the members of parliament too must come,” Ananth Kumar said.

He, however, refrained from giving an assurance on supporting the Jan Lokpal Bill in the House saying that a lot of procedures have to take place including negotiations on the provisions of the Bill. “But whatever comes out will be the strongest,” he said.

IAC members also met Bangalore Central MP, P C Mohan, and handed him a draft copy of the Jan Lokpal Bill asking him to table the Bill. The MP said he would do his bit to get the Bill passed in the House.

Rajeev Chandrashekar, member of the Rajya Sabha who visited the Freedom Park, said he was for the Jan Lokpal Bill as he was the first to have tabled the Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

He said he completely supported the Bill and will vouch for it in Parliament. IAC members also called on JD(S) MPs H D Kumaraswamy and Cheluvarayaswamy.

Grilled

Bangalore North Lok Sabha member D B Chandre Gowda was taken aback by the ‘reception’ he received from Anna’s supporters at the Freedom Park. The MP was annoyed by the questions raised by IAC members about his association with former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, which made him leave the venue in a huff.