New Delhi : Team Anna Wednesday rejected the recommendations made by the parliamentary panel examining the Lokpal Bill, saying these will not have “any impact on corruption” but will “dismantle” the existing anti-graft mechanism.
“I think the recommendations of the standing committee, whatever they are, the Lokpal which is coming, I don’t think this will have any impact on corruption,” Arvind Kejriwal told reporters here, as the committee meets to adopt the report, which will be presented this week to parliament.
“On the contrary, it is likely to dismantle whatever exists in the name of anti-corruption in this country,” Kejriwal, a key member of the team headed by Anna Hazare, said.
He said the recommendations will dismantle the existing anti-graft mechanism.
Kejriwal said the recommendation to divide the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into three parts will further “cripple” the agency.
“So by taking excuse of Anna andolan (protest) rather than strengthening the anti-corruption system, they seem to further weaken whatever exists,” he said.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who heads the committee, had said Tuesday that there would be no delay, except for a “couple of days”, in submitting the report on the anti-graft Lokpal Bill in parliament.
Singhvi’s comments come ahead of Hazare’s day-long protest Dec 11 to press his demand for a strong Lokpal bill.
Hazare and his supporters have expressed their dissatisfaction over the line adopted by the standing committee and said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was to be blamed for flip flops by the panel.
The panel has apparently decided to exclude the Group C staff and the prime minister from the purview of the Lokpal. This has led the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left parties to give dissent note on this matter.
Also, the panel has not included the other key demands of Hazare of including citizen’s charter and a provision for Lokayukta in states.
Kejriwal also said that Anna will take the final decision on sitting on hunger strike from Dec 27 in Delhi.
“As far as fast is concerned, it is Anna who is going to decide. All that I can say is we are committed till the end for a strong Lokpal Bill,” he added.
“The government can accept or go further than that. So let’s wait and watch,” Kejriwal said.
IANS
