With the government all set to table the controversial Lokpal Bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said Wednesday she “will fight” for its early passage in Parliament. Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party, Mrs Gandhi said: “I will fight for the Lokpal. Only yesterday the government approved the bill, which will be introduced and passed.”
Mrs Gandhi also strongly refuted Opposition charges that the government was not taking firm action against corruption, saying “this is deliberate and malicious misinformation”. She went on to make it clear that “there were no differences between the party and the government”.
The stage is set for a confrontation between the government and the Anna Hazare group, with the latter rejecting outright the Lokpal Bill draft to be tabled on Thursday. The main Opposition, the BJP, continued to flex its muscles, and toed Team Anna’s line, demanding inclusion of the CBI within the Lokpal’s ambit. The party said it would “give a detailed reaction” after reading the draft.
Speculation was rife Wednesday evening that the government would drop the provision for a “minority quota” in the proposed nine-member Lokpal body. The draft bill cleared by the Union Cabinet provides for a 50 per cent quota for SCs/STs/OBCs and minorities. A source said: “Quotas for minorities in the Lokpal will require a constitutional amendment, so it is being deleted.”
The RJD and the Samajwadi Party, which extend outside support to the government, indicated they would oppose the contentious bill. Samajwadi chief Mulayam Singh Yadav felt it will give “all powers” to the police. He told the House: “The Lokpal will not be in your (government’s) hands. It will go into the hands of the police. Nothing can be done then against the police.”
In a clear reference to self-styled Gandhian Anna Hazare, the SP chief wanted to know “whether all this is being done under pressure from a man”. Taking a similar line, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said: “You’re going to give powers which could be used to slit everyone’s throats.” He wanted to know what “happened to the suggestions given at the all-party meeting”.
Key UPA allies like the DMK and the Trinamul Congress kept their views on the Lokpal under wraps Wednesday. But political observers felt there was little scope for them to go against the bill.
Launching a counter-offensive against attacks by other parties, AICC general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi said the Congress was not worried. “We must act and think positive,” he said when asked if the bill would be passed in the ongoing session.