Govt blinks, ready to talk to Anna

Zeenews

New Delhi,20 August 2011: At a time when the UPA is on backfoot over Gandhian Anna Hazare’s indefinite fast, pressing for a stronger Lokpal Bill, government has hinted that it was ready to talk to Team Anna to find a midway, if approached formally. 

 

The indications came after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chaired an hour-long meeting of Congress core group late last night, to take stock of the situation arising out of Anna’s fast at Ramlila Ground.

 

The meeting was attended by senior Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram and AK Antony. Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel was also present in the meeting. 

 

“The government has no problem in holding talks with the civil society group led by Hazare if they express readiness,” highly placed sources in the Congress party informed. 

 

A number of Congress leaders, speaking on condition of anonymity said the government should re-engage Team Anna in talks.

The meeting came against the backdrop of Hazare setting a deadline of August 30 for the government to get the Janlokpal Bill passed in Parliament, failing which he decided to continue his fast "till his last breath". 

 

Meanwhile, Congress launched damage control exercise over handling of Anna issue with East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit stating that the Gandhian should not have been arrested and adverse comments made against him could have been avoided. 

 

The civil society led by Anna Hazare have been demanding inclusion of Prime Minister, higher judiciary and conduct of MPs inside Parliament under the ambit of Lokpal. 

 

The Hazare team is also demanding a strong public grievance redressal mechanism, lokayuktas at state-level and independent selection, funding and removal mechanism to ensure autonomy of function. 

 

The Lokpal Bill cleared by the cabinet seeks to keep the office of the Prime Minister outside the purview of the ombudsman during his term in office and also exclude higher judiciary and conduct of MPs inside Parliament. 

 

The Lokpal, consisting of chairperson and eight members, half of them judicial, will have its own prosecution and investigation wing with officers and staff necessary to carry out its functions.

 

New Delhi, 20 August 2011: Songs, speeches and slogans electrified the atmosphere at Ramlila maidan on a wet afternoon as thousands of people converged there to show solidarity with Anna Hazare who launched his protest fast from the historic ground on Friday, August 19, 2011 after he came out of Tihar jail.

 

Over 10,000 people from different walks of life including students, housewives, government servants and businessmen made a beeline to the ground to be part of the movement led-by this ex-Army jawan, demanding a strong anti-corruption Lokpal bill. The 73-year-old led a huge procession with about 4,000 people from Tihar prison and went to Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi before taking the centre-stage at the ground. 

 

Heavy rains and a slushy ground did not deter thousands of people from standing and cheering for Hazare when he entered the ground. “We will stay here with Anna till government accepts all his demands,” said Ramesh Gohate, who had come here from Nanded (Maharashtra) along with 60 other residents. “Corruption is killing poor people. I support Anna saheb and want the anti-graft bill to check it. I have taken a day off to support him,” said Ashfaq, a Delhi-government employee.

 

A medical camp has been set up in the Ramlila Grounds, where a team of 36 doctors, assisted by ace heart specialist Dr Naresh Trehan, would be monitoring the health of Anna Hazare round the clock during his hunger strike.

 

The 73-year-old, who is fasting for the past four days, did a short sprint at the Rajghat on Friday, taking by surprise a band of policemen escorting him. Caught unawares by sudden showers, the anti-corruption crusader broke into a run for a short distance with Delhi Police personnel keeping a pace. In fact, Hazare could have tripped when a policeman came in his way but the Gandhian managed to get past him. Later in his speech at Ramlila Maidan, Hazare said he has lost three kgs since Tuesday when he began his fast but was getting tremendous energy from the people who were backing him.