Fight for effective Lokpal Bill intensifies, Anna Hazare raises pitch

Ralegaon Siddhi/New Delhi, Dec.21 (ANI): The standoff between the government and Team Anna over the Lokpal Bill intensified on Wednesday with anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare raising the pitch against the UPA Government.

Speaking to media in Ralegan Siddhi, he said that he was determined to continue with his three-day fast from December 27.

Hazare's salvo came a day after the Union Cabinet cleared the much-awaited Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare said that the Bill cleared is not a strong one. He added that with the CBI out of the Lokpal ambit, the bill does not have any strength.

Speaking to reporters he said, "This is not a strong Lokpal Bill. The CBI is out of the ambit of the Lokpal. We will continue our fast plans and during the next general elections, I will tour the entire country."

The fresh bill allows the Lokpal to oversee investigation of cases referred by it by the CBI. But, the bill clearly mentions that CBI will continue to be under the government's administrative control. The CBI flashpoint likely to assure that the government-Anna standoff continues for now.

Meanwhile, Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal slammed the Bill saying, "It is the biggest joke I've ever heard."

Another Team Anna member Kiran Bedi said, "Have you ever heard of creating an investigating body without any investigating body? Are we dumb citizens who can be given anything?"

"This kind of Lokpal be better not passed or else it will destroy whatever is left of CBI. The government is creating an anti-corruption body without any where withal for investigation. Who is fooling whom?" she added.

She said sensex will come up once public money is secure and trust deficit is reduced.

After two days of intense drafting by a group of ministers and officials, the new draft of the Lokpal Bill along with the Constitution (Amendment) Bill was cleared at a special Cabinet meeting that lasted 70 minutes. Cross-party support remains doubtful currently, but the real stands of various parties will emerge on Thursday when the Bill will be tabled in the Lok Sabha. (ANI)

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