Lok Pal Bill: BJP relents, to join all-party meet

New Delhi: Ahead of Sunday’s all-party meeting to reach a consensus on the Lok Pal Bill, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led ( BJP) National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Saturday decided to join the discussion and put forth its views on the transparency legislation.

The decision came after a meeting of senior NDA leaders on Saturday evening. Though there was a section headed by senior BJP leader L K Advani that was not in favour of attending the all-party meeting, the alliance finally decided in favour of joining the meeting. Speaking to reporters after a top-level party meeting, Advani said, “We will express our views at the meeting. We would like a strong and effective Lok Pal to root out corruption.” When asked what NDA’s stand was on contentious issues such as the inclusion of the Prime Minister and the higher judiciary in the ambit of the Lok Pal, Advani said, “We have in mind what we want to put forth. We will convey it to you after the meeting.”

NDA will be represented by Sharad Yadav, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj in Sunday’s meeting. Shiv Sena, a member of the NDA, will not attend the meeting. Though the BJP has not spelt out its stand clearly, sources said there are reservations about the selection process as the Opposition wants the procedure completely impervious to governmental influence. Though the BJP supports the civil society in this aspect, it wants a Lok Pal familiar with the judicial process.

The decision of the NDA came on a day when anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare and Magsaysay award winner Arvind Kejriwal met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and senior party leaders Pranab Mukherjee, Mohsina Kidwai and Janardan Dwivedi. Kejriwal briefed the Congress president about their draft of the Jan Lok Pal Bill and explained the civil society’s logic of inclusion of the Prime Minister and higher judiciary in the ambit of the proposed legislation. There was, however, no progress as both the sides remained firm on their stand.

After the meeting, Dwivedi briefed reporters and repeated the Congress line that the party would support whatever draft the government finalises. “We consider it our responsibility to support the government in whatever decision they make after a holistic discussion,” Dwivedi said. Emerging from Gandhi’s 10 Janpath residence, Hazare reiterated his threat to proceed on indefinite fast if “the correct draft” was not tabled in Parliament. He said the Congress president had assured him that she would discuss the points raised by Hazare and Kejriwal with her party.

A person close to the matter said the Congress leaders were mum on the issue of inclusion of the Prime Minister under the ambit of the proposed legislation. He didn’t want to disclose his identity.