Concerted campaign to scuttle Lokpal Bill: Santosh Hegde

BANGALORE: In less than a fortnight of its formation, the joint committee for drafting the Lokpal Bill is falling apart. Even as civil society representatives Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan are battling attacks on their integrity, another civil society leading light, Justice NSantosh Hegde, is thinking of quitting the panel. 

Stung by Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh's references to his ineffectuality in dealing with corruption in Karnataka, Hegde, who is the Karnataka Lokayukta, told TOI: "I'm angry and hurt. I came to know through the media thatDigvijay Singh said I was trying to protect Karnataka CM B S Yeddyurappa on corruption charges. I've tried to be honest in my entire career."

He said he was reconsidering his decision to join the committee, but would take a final decision on Saturday after meeting the other civil society activists. He said there was a concerted campaign to discredit the civil society members of the joint committee. It would appear he was not prepared to face up to the campaign. 

While Hegde seemed to be wilting under the pressure, Anna Hazare himself appeared to be distancing himself from the controversy. He was heard saying on TV that he had nothing to do with the Bhushans. 

Hegde said, "There is a concerted effort to scuttle the Lokpal Bill, which has been pending for 42 years. It's something like former CM HD Kumaraswamy giving me suo motu powers for prosecution but governor Rameshwar Thakur declining sanction. Politicians do not like their conduct to be examined." 

He added, "I am apolitical and committee members from civil society don't belong to any political party. First, they targeted Anna Hazare. When that did not stick, their focus has been on Shanti Bhushan. While Arvind Kejriwal was too smart for them, I am their latest target." 

Clarifying that he did not want to go into the CD controversy relating to the Bhushans, Hegde said the smear campaign was only designed to nix the formulation of a strong anti-corruption law against politicians and bureaucrats. 

"Our concern should not be about how good or bad Shanti Bhushan is but how good or bad the proposed Lokpal Bill will be. The legislation has nothing to do with any panel member's conduct. It aims to create an institution," he said

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Concerted-campaign-to-scuttle-Lokpal-Bill-Santosh-Hegde/articleshow/8051534.cms

Lokpal Bill: Cong dubs Anna's videography demand as idiotic

As controversy dogged the ten-member jointcommittee comprising five Union ministers and five social activists includingAnna Hazare to draft theJan Lokpal Bill even before it started work, the Congress on Monday rejected the demand for videographing the proceedings.

Saying that filming the meeting would inhibit candid discussions, the Congress added that the stakeholders should focus on 'substance' and not waste time on 'form'. A senior party leader, who did not wished to be named, termed the suggestion for videography "idiotic". The party also indicated that agreeing to this "extra-constitutional arrangement" was a one-time affair because of the extraordinary situation and the prevailing national mood against corruption.

HRD minister Kapil Sibal (left) and anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare."Let us not form take the place of substance... Please do not put conditions and pre-conditions which might obstruct the basic objective... Statesmanship and maturity is required from every stakeholder," party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said, adding "transparency should not become artificial or hypocritical decision making without candour. Therefore, balancing is very important." Meanwhile, a fresh row erupted on Monday with Hazare asking HRD minister Kapil Sibal to resign from the committee, if he feels nothing will come out of this institution.

His colleagues in the campaign for a strong Lokpal Bill - Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal - also slammed Sibal, who, however, denied having made any such contentious statement.

Clarifying his earlier remarks, the HRD minister said what he had meant was that the scope of the Bill is different and the problems of the common man are different.

"We want to draft a strong bill to tackle corruption in any sector where it is rampant... I will sit together with Hazare to draft a comprehensive bill so that we achieve our goals," Sibal said.

"I said that if you want to educate children, then this has no connection to Lokpal. If there is no water... Lokpal is only connected to corruption and we will bring a good Bill that will stop corruption," the telecom minister added.

Reacting sharply to Sibal's remarks, Anna said: "Why is he (Sibal) wasting his and our time? He should do other things for the country. Why does he want to be in the committee? If you believe that nothing will happen, you should not be there in the joint committee, he should resign and do some other work." Anna Hazare had demanded that the entire proceedings of the committee be videographed to ensure transparency.

Singhvi downplayed Hazare's demand for the resignation of Sibal for reportedly belittling significance of the Lokpal Bill for the common man saying: "We should not queer the pitch." He said the government had bent over backwards on the procedure. "Our constitutional and opposition in principle to the procedure remains," Singhvi said.

Salman Khurshid, minister for water resources, also a member of the drafting committee, said a decision to videograph the procedures of the committee would have to be taken jointly by the members.

"The procedure about making public or televising whatever happens there, will be decided by the committee itself," he said. "I cannot comment on it as an individual," he said, adding the draft on Lokpal Bill was of high priority and will be ready soon." "What we have seen so far is a skirmish over procedure, the real battle has started now," a senior party leader said, noting that the Congress and the government had walked the extra mile as Hazare's campaign legitimates outpouring on the issue of corruption and not a political campaign.

The Congress said it was churlish to think that the deliberations in the panel will be "hush-hush". "The members are free to brief the media on what transpired at the meeting and we are sure the social activists would love to do so," a Congress leader said.

A senior party leader said Parliament's standing committee meetings were held in camera and they were functioning effectively.

"The moment they are videographed or opened to the media, the members will try to play to the gallery as they do in Parliament," the leader added.

Source: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story/lokpal-bill-congress-rejects-demand-of-anna-hazare-for-videographing-proceedings/1/134999.html

Hazare announces jail bharo on April 12 after govt rejects demands

NEW DELHI: The government has rejected the demand of Anna Hazare to issue an official notification to constitute the draft committee forLokpal Bill and also rejected the proposal for an outsider to lead the new committee of government and civil society. 

The protesters announced that Kapil Sibal had conveyed about this decision to them and has also said that Pranab Mukherjee will head the committee. 

Reacting to the government's stand, Anna Hazare announced country-wide Jail Bharo agiation on April 12. 

An angry Hazare said that the people will teach the government a lesson by joinging the jail bharo agitation against the government. 

Meanwhile, Anna Hazare, whose fast entered the fourth day on Friday, has said that he will not become the chairman of the proposed draft committee for the Lokpal Bill. 

Addressing the thousands at the protest site, Anna Hazare said that he would only assist the committee in advisory capacity. 

The fasting leaders announced that Anna Hazare will write a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh forwarding the names of Santosh Hegde and Justice GS Verma to lead the proposed draft committee. 

The government has already rejected these names. 

Hazare called for immediate decentralisation of power at the centre to ensure that there is end to corruption in governance. 

Stating that Mahatma Gandhi stressed on decentralisation of power, he said his fast for Lokpal Bill was like the second fight for Independence. He said, Lokpal Bill will lead to decentralisation of power. 

Hazare said Right to Information Act is an example for all to see. The RTI has led to devolution of power. 

Taking a dig at the present set up, Hazare said all the agencies to tackle corruption at present are under the government and hence there has never been any positive outcome of any probe. 

Hazare said we are demanding that all these agencies should come under the purview of Lokpal. This will ensure that all the corrupt will land in jail, he said.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hazare-announces-jail-bharo-on-April-12-after-govt-rejects-demands/articleshow/7911517.cms