Bedi warns of another movement after Budget session

Team Anna member Kiran Bedi today asked the people to remain prepared for another movement if no strong Lokpal bill is passed during budget session of Parliament.

She said that if the government failed to pass a strong Lokpal bill during the upcoming budget session, people should remain prepare for Anna's call to press for their demand of strong Lokpal.

"If a strong Lokpal bill is not passed in forthcoming budget session, Anna may give a call accordingly and you should remain prepared to follow his call. If he gives a call to move to Delhi, move with other volunteers," she said in reply to a question asked by a woman at a seminar here.

"The movement has gone beyond Anna and team Anna and has become a movement of every household. Volunteers of India Against Corruption are increasing countrywide and you all should focus on consistent meetings, awareness programme and other preparations," she said.

Bedi also highlighted rule 49-O of Conduct of Election Rules which allows a voter to register his presence at the polling booth without casting the vote in favour of any candidate.

"Importance of vote is highly significant and this is what everybody should know. It is vote due to which a candidate wins or loses.

"We need 'Right to Reject' but we can also use rule 49-O under which we may decided to not to vote for anyone, if we do not find any suitable candidate, after registering our presence at the booth," she said, adding, that not many were aware about this rule even some presiding officers.

She said that assembly polls were just rehearsal and their main focus was 2014-general elections.

"For 2014 general elections, we will undertake awareness campaign through our volunteers to make people aware that they should vote for only right candidate," she said during the questions-answers session of the seminar organised by a newspaper group.

After Bedi's suggestion for using Rule 49-O, film actress Mugdha Godse, who was present as another speaker, said that she was so far unaware of this like many other voters.

In her address, Bedi asked young girls and women to make efforts at individual level to educate people and spread awareness for water conservation in rural areas.
She said that "youth power, women power and solar power" were the country's most positive factors but at the same time, the powers were not used in a desirable manner.

"We are rich in youth power and in coming 5-10 years, India will the no.1 country in youth power but the need of the hour is to utilise the power in a proper manner, both female and male," she said.

"Women can play vital role in development of the country but they need to utilise their available time properly," she said.

"Girls and women can adopt villages and start educating people and also creating awareness for water conservation because illiteracy, lack of water, dowry etc. are among other major issues for Rajasthan," she said.

She also underlined the importance of character building and morality in common people as well as in politicians. Speaking at the seminar, environmentalist Sunita Narain expressed deep concern over use of tobacco and Gutka.

In reply to a question, sh said that smoking has become a status symbol and the scenario needs to be changed.

"It is the weakness of the government that use of tobacco and gutka is increasing. We will have to put pressure on the government to check this," she said.