Anna Hazare hails Rahul Gandhi's commitment to the Lokpal Bill

NEW DELHI: Gandhian and social rights activist Anna Hazare has written to Rahul Gandhi, praising the Congress vice president for his commitment to the Lokpal Bill and exhorting him to include some more provisions to give the country a stronger anti-corruption legislation. Gandhi, on his part, has praised Hazare’s commitment to the Bill saying he was “very grateful” for the veteran anti-corruption crusader’s role in bringing up the issue into the mainstream.

Hazare, who seemed to have softened his stand against the Congress on the Lokpal issue, wrote to Gandhi on Sunday. In his onepage letter, Hazare has written: “I welcome your commitment towards passing the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill in Parliament. My request is that the points which have been endorsed and recommended by the select committee on the Bill are included in it. These points have been decided with consensus by all political parties who were part of the select committee.”

Hazare has until recently been extremely critical of the Congress and the government over the Lokpal issue. He has now chosen to support the Bill despite his onetime protégé Arvind Kejriwal calling the proposed law too weak to tackle even petty corruption.


Hazare said also if Parliament makes an effort to give more teeth to this law than what had been recommended by a Rajya Sabha panel that had went in to the Lokpal issue, it will be in the interest of the people. “People of the country are waiting for a competent Lokpal,” Hazare said in the letter.

The letters by Hazare and Gandhi were released by the All India Congress Committee on Tuesday morning, just hours before the Lokpal Bill was discussed and passed in the Rajya Sabha.

Gandhi replied to Hazare on Monday, thanking him for his letter. Addressing the Gandhian “dear” Anna Hazare, Rahul said the letter has given him “great encouragement”. “All of us are committed to provide people of this country a competent and strongest-possible Lokpal system. We respect your role in this task and we are very grateful to you for your support,” Gandhi said in his letter.