Kejriwal releases list of 14 ministers to face investigations if Lokpal bill is passed

New Delhi, Mar 25 (ANI): Anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare's close aide Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday released a list of 14 ministers who would face investigation under charges of corruption if a strong ombudsman bill was passed by the Indian parliament.

Kejriwal, while addressing the crowd at Jantar Mantar, the venue for Hazare's one-day fast, said: "There are total 34 ministers in the federal cabinet of this country. And out of those 34, I am going to list out 14 ministers, who will face investigation and would have an FIR lodged against them, had a strong ombudsman bill been implemented and when that happens we are hoping that many of these ministers will be jailed. But the biggest question arises now is that would such a tainted cabinet pass a strong bill?"

The list of 14 names included the names of Home Minister P Chidambaram, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar amongst others.

Training his guns at Chidambaram, Kejriwal said Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had given Chidambaram a clean chit only because they were under the control of his ministry.

"Chidambaram has been accused of being a co-conspirator with Raja in the 2G scam by allotting spectrum of telecom companies at throw away prices. But who is going to lodge an FIR against Chidambaram? The CBI in its report has stated that they did not find any evidence against Chidambaram during the investigation. CBI functions under Chidambaram, so how can the CBI investigate the matter freely?" Kejriwal added.

Anna Hazare, on Sunday, sat on a one-day fast undertaken to protect the whistleblowers and demand the inclusion of a strong whistleblower law as part of the Lokpal.

Delhi Police have given conditional permission to Team Anna to protest on the issue of alleged killings of several honest men and officers by organised mafia or in terror attacks.

This was the first hunger strike undertaken by 74-year-old Hazare after he called off his three-day fast for a strong Lokpal Bill in Mumbai last December owing to failing health.

The Sunday's fast comes two days after an inconclusive all party meeting on the Lokpal Bill at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's official 7, Race Course Road residence.

Hazare has said that he will continue his crusade for the Lokpal Bill till the 2014 general elections. (ANI)