Govt. is not serious enough for Lokpal Bill. Don't try to make Lokpal as Jokepal : Anna Hazare.

Draft Lokpal Bill a joke, Anna tells Manmohan

U Anand Kumar || Express News Service || Last Updated : 19 Jul 2011 08:12:43 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Terming the government’s draft Lokpal Bill as a joke played on the nation, social activist Anna Hazare on Monday informed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about his decision to go on an indefinite fast from August 16 unless the government introduces an effective Lokpal Bill in Parliament by Independence Day.

In a three-page letter to the Prime Minister, Hazare said the government has to take steps against corruption. Pointing out the deficiencies in the government’s Lokpal Bill, he said the government should not present a Bill in Parliament without addressing those issues. Hazare demanded that the Jan Lokpal Bill be brought in Parliament for discussion. He said, “We want our version to be introduced in Parliament. If you send a weak bill, what will you discuss?” 

Listing the scams which came to light recently such as the Adarsh scam, Commonwealth Games scam, Taj corridor scam and cash-for-vote scam, Hazare said none of these will come under the ambit of the Lokpal.

He said the scope of the draft is so confined that it does not address corruption faced by the common man. Hazare dared the government to crush his agitation as it did in the case of Baba Ramdev and said his team is ready to make bigger sacrifices.

“It is our constitutional right to protest, so when the government says it will crush our andolan like Ramdev’s, it is not right. We are ready to get arrested and be beaten up but we have had enough of corruption,” Hazare said.
Courtesy : Express News Service.This is published in the National interest and under citizen's responsibility for awareness generation programme.