Government will have to bow to public pressure on Lokpal: Karat

NEW DELHI: Terming the UPA-II government as the "most corrupt" in the history of independent India, top CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat on Tuesday said it would have to "bow down" to public pressure and bring a fresh bill to pave the way for an effective Lokpal.

"The attitude of the UPA government and its failure to tackle corruption has fuelled widespread anger. First, the UPA government is seen as complicit in corruption. This has been the most corrupt government in the history of independent India", the CPI(M) General Secretary said in an article in the forthcoming issue of party organ 'People's Democracy'.

"The paradox of a 'clean Prime Minister' heading such a government has sunk into the consciousness of the urban middle classes. This is the very constituency which had been singing praises of Manmohan Singh - a reformer who was clean and whose integrity was unquestioned", he said.

Observing that Anna Hazare's hunger strike has led to an outpouring of support particularly from the urban middle class and the youth, Karat said there was no doubt that since Hazare's first hunger strike in April, "the anti-corruption movement has gained momentum".

Maintaining that government's Lokpal Bill had been rejected by large sections of people and most political parties including the Left, he said, "There is no other way except for the Manmohan Singh government to bow down to public pressure.

"In such a situation, there is no other way for the government, but to bring a modified or fresh Bill which can pave the way for an effective Lokpal," he said.

Demanding that government should hold talks with the Anna Hazare group forthwith, he said it should bring a fresh Bill for discussion and adoption by Parliament.