Team Anna meet CPI(M) MPs

After the meeting, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters that the discussion on Lokpal Bill is an on-going process but the main concern of the Left parties was that the Bill should be brought in this session of Parliament and "preferably adopted".

"Team Anna members had come to meet us today. We had serious and fruitful discussion on the Lokpal Bill. CPI(M) has been demanding that a strong and effective Lokpal is required to eliminate the curse of corruption," Yechury said.

He maintained that he would pass on the suggestions given by Team Anna to Left members in the Standing Committee dealing with the drafting of the Bill.

"This was neither our first nor our last meeting with Team Anna," Yechury said.
Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan said the meeting was held to explain their position to CPI(M) on various aspects of the Bill.

"We are meeting all parties to explain our position. The Standing Committee has been saying that CBI, Prime Minister, judiciary, lower bureaucracy and grievance redressal cell should be kept out of the Lokpal. This is not good... If you want a strong Lokpal then everybody from PM to peon should be included," Bhushan said.

Insisting that all of the above should be within the purview of Lokpal, he further said the
Lokpal should be independent of the government.

Another Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said they would wait for the Standing Committee to come out with its report before commenting on its proposals.

Bedi said from the discussions it was evident that the CPI(M) being pro-equity pro-inclusive, is closer to Jan Lok Pal Bill.

"It all depends whether they can bring around combined might of the opposition as one voice which this bill most needs or else the bill may be weak. We a need united Opposition for a miracle," she said.

The activists had earlier met senior BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj here to lobby for the party's support for inclusion of lower bureaucracy, judiciary and CBI under the purview of proposed Lokpal.

Lokpal Bill is expected to be placed before the House for passing during this session.
Anna Hazare has demanded that a strong bill be passed in this session itself or he will launch an agitation and campaign against Congress in the upcoming Assembly polls in five states next year.

Team Anna members argued for the inclusion of judiciary, lower bureaucracy, CBI and Citizen's Charter under the ambit of Lokpal though reports suggested that there was a consensus in the Standing Committee to exclude these.

The activists said that the Group C and D employees should be under the ambit of Lokpal, saying common man has to deal with these employees on a daily basis.