Indians demonstrate outside UN in support of Anna Hazare

NEW YORK: Extending support to activist Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement, members of the ' India Against Corruption' organisation demonstrated outside the UN building here saying the Indian government's Lokpal Bill draft is a "joke" and protects the corrupt.

About 30-40 India Against Corruption (IAC) volunteers, including women and children, shouted slogans and tore copies of the government's draft of the Lokpal bill, as they sought to draw attention of the international community to Hazare's fight against corruption.

Ashim Jain, an IAC volunteer, told PTI that even though India had ratified the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in May this year, the country is "not following the convention and the UN should know about it."

Jain said the draft fails to meet even the most basic aspects of the UNCAC.

He said corruption does not involve merely paying bribes. It impacts national growth as money meant for eradicating poverty, improving health, education and rural infrastructure goes into the pockets of corrupt government administrators and politicians who thrive in a system that has ineffective anti-corruption laws.

The supporters donned paper 'Anna caps' and wore white T-shirts with the slogan 'I support India Against Corruption.'

Waiving the Indian tricolour, they held banners and placards that read 'Jail the corrupt', 'Indian government's Lokpal bill is a joke', 'Stop abuse of power,' and 'Lokpal is jokepal' during the two-hour demonstration.