India: Hazare appeals to opposition parties to join stir for a strong Lokpal

New Delhi, Dec 11 (PTI) Indian social activist Anna Hazare Sunday appealed to the country’s various opposition parties to join his agitation for a strong Lokpal (ombudsman) if they did not have the numbers to correct the government in Parliament as he sat on a one-day fast protesting against a parliamentary standing committee report on the proposed law. His remarks came as leaders of the opposition parties shared stage with him in New Delhi and supported many of his demands like inclusion of the Prime Minister, the lower bureaucracy and the anti-corruption wing of the country’s Central Bureau of Investigation under the proposed Lokpal. "If government hesitates in passing a strong Lokpal Bill or rejects your suggestions and if you (opposition) fall short of numbers, we can do one thing. The people are here with us. You can join us with all your parties and partymen and come to the streets for a larger campaign. Let us see how the government does not do it. We will ensure that no jail in the country remains empty, such will be our campaign," Hazare said after political leaders put their views on the issue. Raising the pitch on the issue he began his fast at 10:15 am local time (05:30 hrs ahead of GMT), in the third such act, protesting against the "watered-down" proposals of the standing committee on the anti-graft law. Accepting invitation from Team Anna, some political parties shared platform at the Jantar Mantar, the venue of the one-day fast, and backed his demands for inclusion of Prime Minister and lower bureaucracy under the ambit of Lokpal but some counselled Team Anna to be flexible and not expect every point raised by them be accepted. Leaders of primary opposition Bhartiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India-Marxist, Communist Party of India, Janata Dal-United, Akali Dal, Telugu Desam Party and Biju Janata Dal participated in the public debate on Lokpal Bill while Congress did not send anyone. Most of them concurred with Hazare's demands for inclusion of Prime Minister, lower bureaucracy and CBI's anti-corruption wing under Lokpal but they did not favour bringing higher judiciary under the ombudsman and argued for a separate mechanism to check corruption in it. This is Hazare's third protest on the issue and second at the Jantar Mantar. The first one, which was a five-day fast from April 5 had drawn huge crowds. The government had then set up a joint committee comprising official representatives and activists to draft the Lokpal Bill. The 74-year-old activist, who had gone on his second fast that lasted 13 days at the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi in August on the same issue, has been demanding bringing lower bureaucracy within the ambit of the Lokpal besides provisions for a Citizen's Charter and the setting up of Lokayuktas or state-level ombudsmen under a central law. The government as well as the standing committee have rejected it. Hazare has also threatened to go on an indefinite fast from December 27 at Ramlila Maidan if a strong Lokpal bill is not passed in the ongoing winter session of Parliament. The session is scheduled to end on December 23. PTI Caption for pic: BJP leader Arun Jaitley speaking at the anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare's one-day fast in protest against the proposals of the parliamentary standing committee on Lokpal Bill at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Sunday. Seen seated in the front row are Ms Brinda Karat (L) of Communist Party of India (Marxist), Anna Hazare (with white cap), D Raja (C) and A B Bardhan (2R) of Communist Party of India and Sharad Yadav (R) of Janata Dal (United). PTI Photo