Govt, Hazare talk tough

New Delhi, April 8 (PTI) The stalemate over the
campaign for an effective Lokpal Bill deepended on Friday with
the Government rejecting Anna Hazare's two crucial demands on
the joint committee while the Gandhian announced a 'fill the
jail' protest from April 13 across the country.
As the 71-year-old anti-corruption crusader's fast
entered the fourth day on Friday, both sides talked tough.
Indian Union Minister Kapil Sibal, who has been negotiating
with Hazare's emissaries, declared that it would not be
possible to accept the demand for making Hazare the Chairman
of the committee or to officially notify it.
Hazare reacted sharply saying time has come for a 'jail
bharo' agitation throughout the country.
His campaign also made it clear that they were not
jockeying for posts and that they would write to the Prime
Minister suggesting that former Chief Justice of India J S
Verma or retired Supreme Court judge Santosh Hegde be made
Chairman of the joint committee to draft the bill.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who had on Thursday
appealed to Hazare to end the fast, on Friday met Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and discussed the stalemate between
the two sides. Senior ministers Pranab Mukherjee, Kapil Sibal
and Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel were also
present.
After the meeting, sources said that the government was
ready to negotiate while Mukherjee appealed to Hazare to end
his fast and join the committee for drafting the bill.
After waiting for Hazare's emissaries who did not turn
up, Sibal told reporters "our position remains the same. It is
not possible for official notification on the constittion of
the joint committee, but we said we are willing to issue an
official letter through Law Ministry and a press note."
He said it was not possible for the government to
accept their demand for making a member of the civil society
as Chairman of the drafting committee.
"If you insist that a nominee of your side is the
Chairman of the joint committee, in that event the committee
will not consist of ministers from our end but officials of
Government of India.
"In that eventuality, you can have your nominee as
Chairman of the joint committee," Sibal told reporters after
waiting with another cabinet colleague Salman Khurshid for
meeting with Hazare's emissaries Swami Agnivesh and Arvind
Kejriwal.
Speaking to his supporters, Hazare said "today when
Sibal and these people are saying this, I feel that a jail
bharo agitation should take place in the entire country.
"But you should participate in the agitation keeping in
mind Mahatma Gandhi. There should be no violence anywhere," he
said to a thunderous applause from the gathering that included
film actor Anupam Kher and noted journalist Pritish Nandy.
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Sibal and the two emissaries were to meet on Friday in
the morning but it did not take place with both sides saying
that they were waiting for a call from the other. They are
expected to meet at 6 pm on Friday.
Agnivesh, who shared the dais with Hazare, however,
sounded optimistic about a resolution.
"I do not want to colour it with something
confrontationist. No, not at all. He (Sibal) has been very
conciliatory and he has spoken to me on phone and he wants to
resolve it as early as possible as possible, hopefully by this
evening," he said.
Addressing the protestors, Kejriwal dismissed media
reports of any crack in the movement, saying all those taking
part in it were united.
Former Indian Police Service officer Kiran Bedi, whose
absence on Wednesday at the protest site triggered reports of
crack in the movement, also said she was very much with the
movement and will continue with the fight.
She said she could not be present on Wednesday as she
was suffering from severe throat problem and was advised rest.
Addressing the gathering, Hazare asked people to stick
to non-violence during the agitation. After first announcing
April 12 as the date for the agitation, he later changed it
April 13 citing holiday on account of Ramnavami.
He recalled that he had organised similar jail bharo
movements in Maharashtra in the past and urged the unemployed
youths to join the agitation, saying they will get the morning
breakfast and two meals in the jail.
Maintaining that his agitation is for decentralisation
of power in people's hands and the proposed Jan Lokpal Bill
will be a step forward in that regard, Hazare made it clear
that he was not interested in becoming a party to any
committee.
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Hazare said that corruption in the country could be
checked if the agencies involved in fighting the menace were
brought under the Lokpal instead of the government.
"All agencies supposed to check corruption like CBI,
vigilance committees, and various committees are under the
government. Because they are functioning under the government,
there is no stopping of corruption.
"CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) has
investigated many big cases before and after Bofors. But did
any minister or IAS-IPS officer go to jail so far? This is
because even if somebody wants to take tough action, the
government will stop him," Hazare said.
"If the agencies responsible for controlling
corruption, which are under the government, are brought under
the Lokpal, then the corrupt will go to jail. That's why we
are demanding this kind of Lokpal," he said.
Hazare also cited the example of Right to Information
Act saying that the RTI changed the ball game and now the
government has to follow rules and people will have control
instead of people following the rules and the government
having control which the Britishers proposed.
"Today there are two reasons for corruption that has
risen in the country. The laws are weak so the corrupt have no
fear. Secondly, lot of people running the government are
taking along these corrupt people.
"There is also a third reason that there has not been
a decentralisation of power. Corruption rose as power was
centralised in the government. Lokpal Bill is for
decentralisation and our agitation is precisely for that,"
Hazare said.
Meanwhile, four persons who were also fasting at Jantar
Mantar, have been hospitalised following a setback in their
health.