'Jail bharo' from January 1 if no Lokpal bill: Anna Hazare

NEW DELHI: Anna Hazare on Thursday announced a 'jail bharo' agitation from January 1 2012, if the Lokpal bill was not passed in parliament.

Anna Hazare said that the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament should be extended to pass Lokpal Bill and threatened to go on a hunger strike if it is not introduced soon.

His remarks came a day after a consensus eluded political parties on Lokpal Bill.

The activist said he has confidence in Parliament that it will pass the bill as everybody in government has given his team the assurance that it will be done.

"(There will be a consensus) in Parliament if not at all-party meeting. All MPs are there, it will be passed there...yesterday people put forward right points, some pointed out the deficiencies.

"Everybody in the government is giving us assurances that we will get a Lokpal Bill. So we should have faith in them. But if they don't bring it, then we will have to agitate," he said ahead of the second day of Team Anna's Core Committee meeting.

Hazare was responding to questions on consensus eluding the all-party meeting on Lokpal Bill and apprehensions that the bill will not be passed in the ongoing Winter Session.

Repeating his demand for extension of the ongoing session to pass the bill, he said, "if there is no time for passing the bill (according to the present schedule), then extend it.

"It is important for the country. Earlier also, you have occasions when the Session was extended," he said.

Replying to questions on the all-party meeting, Team Anna member Kiran Bedi said almost all the parties were unanimous on CBI getting autonomy.

When pointed out that some leaders have cautioned against rushing through the Bill, Bedi said, "Who are these parties? Not the BJP surely as Sushma Swaraj tweeted that they want it in this session. Are they managed voices, isolated voices?".