JOIN US'Broad consensus' in UPA on Lokpal
A day before the all-party meeting on the Lokpal issue, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held consultation with UPA constituents on the anti-corruption law on Tuesday night in which a ''broad consensus'' on the approach to the issue was reached.
After a two-hour long meeting at 7, Race Course Residence of Prime Minister, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said leaders of all parties expressed their views and discussions were “very fruitful” and “very extensive” on the issue.
“Parties discussed the (Parliamentary) Standing Committee report on the Lokpal and the approach to the all-party meeting tomorrow," he said.
Asked if there was unanimity among UPA allies on contentious issues of the anti-graft legislation, Chidambaram said: "There is a broad consensus in the UPA-II on the approach to the Lokpal” adding that “we will present our views at the all-party meeting”.
Chidambaram expressed hope that the all-party meeting would be "productive and we can reach conclusions on the amendments to the draft Lokpal bill and bring it before Parliament.”
Representatives of all the coalition partners of UPA were present at the meeting. Ajit Singh, chief of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), who joined UPA on Monday, was also there.
From Congress, party chief Sonia Gandhi, Law Minister Salman Khurshid, Chairman of the Parliament Standing Committee on Law and Personnel Abhishek Singhvi and Minister of State in PMO V Narayanasamy were present at the meeting.
Earlier in the day, Core Group of Congress also met to deliberate on various aspects of anti-corruption legislation. Congress and UPA allies held discussions amidst of pressure on the government from Opposition parties and civil society to bring the Prime Minister, Group C and D employees and the anti-corruption wing of CBI under the purview of the Lokpal Bill.
The Core Committee of Team Anna will also meet for two days from Wednesday to chalk out future strategy, including the proposed Ramlila Maidan agitation, if a strong Lokpal Bill is not passed in the ongoing winter session of Parliament.