Anna Hazare to begin 3-day fast today, Lok Sabha set to debate Lokpal

NEW DELHI: The Opposition and Team Anna continued to put pressure on the Manmohan Singh government to remove “infirmities” in the Lokpal bill. While Anna Hazare and his colleagues stuck to their “maximalist” position on the eve of the debate in the Lok Sabha, the Opposition and the UPA “supporting parties” have made it plain that their support would be contingent upon the government accepting their amendments.

ARTICLE 253 OR ARTICLE 252?

The main sticking points continue to be government’s proposal to establish Lokayuktas under Article 253 of the Constitution and Section 24 of the bill that accords powers to the presiding officers of the two Houses to take action against ministers and MPs even before the completion of trial.

The NDA and chief ministers of Opposition-ruled states have said that establishment of the ombudsman under Article 253 will violate the federal structure as it would override the powers of the state legislatures. These parties have been maintaining that the anti-graft body should be constituted under Article 252 of the Constitution. The government will find it difficult to accept this demand as it will upset the timeline set for the passing the bill.

The invocation of Article 252 will require at least two state legislatures to pass resolutions seeking a model law. Anna Hazare, the main driver of the bill, has reached Mumbai for kicking off the third phase of his agitation.

Anna, who attacked the Centre for going back on its promise for a “strong” Lokpal, is expected to once again stoke public anger against the government. India Against Corruption’s campaign over the web saw over one lakh people registering themselves for the ‘jail bharo’ agitation.

CONGRESS & BJP ISSUE WHIPS

In Delhi, both Congress and BJP issued whips to their MPs to be present in the Lok Sabha when the House debates the Lokpal bill.

While BJP said it will not step back from its demands, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said the issue should be left for Parliament to decide. “It is the job of Parliament to legislate.

We (government) had several rounds of discussion with him (Anna Hazare) and his team. We know their viewpoints.

About nine rounds of meetings have already been held with them. Thereafter also, through interlocutors, some discussions took place with them,” he said.


The uneasiness of the political class over the deadlines set by Anna came out in the open when CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said Anna should let Parliament do its job.

“Those who use the rules of the Constitution of sitting on fasts or holding candlelight protest marches, should also know that they cannot violate the law made by the Constitution, which says that all bills and laws will be passed only in the Parliament....They should know how to respect others’ rights as well,” he said.

OPPN WILL BE BLAMED IF BILL NOT PASSED

If the Lok Sabha passes the bill with amendments, the bill with the relevant changes will be sent to the Rajya Sabha for discussion and passage on December 28. If Rajya Sabha passes some amendments in addition to those passed by Lok Sabha, then these amendments will be referred back to the Lok Sabha.

If the bill is not passed in the Lok Sabha, then a joint session of Parliament will have to be held. This could delay the passage of the bill. Since the government is placing both Lokpal Bill, 2011, and amendment for giving constitutional status to Lokpal, it requires both simple majority to pass the bill as well as 2/3rd majority for the constitutional status. UPA has the numbers in LS, but it is in minority in RS. So, if the bill doesn’t get passed, the Opposition will be blamed.

TEAM ANNA ON EC RADAR

Meanwhile, Team Anna is on the Election Commission’s radar too. Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi said the Team Anna will be monitored for poll expenditure in the upcoming state assembly elections.

ANNA TO AGITATE OUTSIDE SONIA’S HOUSE

Undeterred, Anna Hazare is all set to begin his three-day fast on Tuesday from MMRDA grounds in Mumbai. Hazare declared that he would shift base to Delhi on December 30 to agitate for another three days outside UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s residence.

“My agitation is not against a political party. We will agitate outside Sonia Gandhi’s house from December 30. The government did a Uturn from what they promised earlier,” Hazare said in Ralegan Siddhi.

4 CHANGES NON-NEGOTIABLE: BHUSHAN

Team Anna members on Monday said the four changes suggested by them in the bill were “non-negotiable” and plans to sit on dharna outside MPs’ houses could be called off only if the government agreed to amendments in the proposed legislation.

The demands are empower Lokpal and Lokayuktas to suo motu initiate investigation, investigation powers for the ombudsman, selection of Lokpal through consensus of selection panel and inclusion of lower bureaucracy under direct control of Lokpal.

“The four changes are non-negotiable... For other changes, we can continue our fight later,” Prashant Bhushan said. He said, along with Hazare’s fast in Mumbai, a separate three-day fast will be held in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan. “Anna will undertake a three-day fast in Mumbai. At the same time we will fast for three days at Ramlila Maidan,” Bhushan said. “On December 30 and 31, we will protest outside the houses of those MPs who support the government’s Lokpal Bill,” he said.