Janlokpal bill: Team Anna Hazare, government hold another round of talks

NEW DELHI: Carrying forward their dialogue, government and Team Anna on Wednesday held another round of discussions to sort out sticky issues even as government insisted that ending of fast by the Gandhian assumed greater urgency than passage of Lokpal Bill.

Law Minister Salman Khurshid met Hazare's associates Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and Kiran Bedi at his residence to resolve differences which persisted after last night's deliberations between the civil society activists and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit, who is believed to be negotiating through back-channel, was also present at the meeting.

Prior to the meeting, Khurshid told reporters that passage of the Lokpal Bill could take more than 20 days but the fast could not go on till then.

"The urgency of the fast to come to an end is far greater and far serious," he said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will chair an all-party meeting as the government stepped up efforts to end a public standoff with Anna Hazare.

As his indefinite hunger strike demanding a strong Lokpal Bill entered the ninth day, Hazare said the government has no intention to eradicate corruption even today and it is not honest in its effort in this regard.

Team Anna and government's chief interlocutor Pranab Mukherjee yesterday did not reach an agreement on three "sticky" issues -- citizen's charter, inclusion of lower bureaucracy and setting up of Lokayukta in state through Lokpal.

The health of Anna Hazare continues to deteriorate, doctors said. "We recommended that he (Hazare) get admitted in hospital but he refused saying that the movement was going on," said eminent heart surgeon Naresh Trehan, who along with his team of doctors is monitoring Hazare's health.

Hazare, 74, has been asked to drink a lot of water and told not to take on any strain. "The result of blood tests will come by noon, then we will know if increased fluid take has stabilised the condition or not," Trehan said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had written to Hazare Tuesday expressing concern over his health.

Hazare has been drinking only water since Aug 16, when he started his fast.

Hazare was arrested Aug 16 and taken to Tihar Jail. He was released the same day, but he refused to come out. He shifted to Ramlila ground Aug 19 where he has been continuing his fast.