Government, opposition on same page on Lokpal to end Anna Hazare's fast

The government and opposition today appeared to be on the same page in Lok Sabha during the debate on the Lokpal issue with both sides emphasising that Anna Hazare should end his fast.

A discussion in the house over the issue saw the two sides moving closer to a consensus on most points, including the three sticky issues of including the lower bureaucracy, appointing Lok Ayuktas in states and having a Citizens' Charter, which were a bone of contention in the past.

The tone of the debate was set by NDA Working President LK Advani who in his brief remarks appealed to the house to discuss the issue for the entire day but ensure that by evening the views of the House reach Hazare.

He felt that today's discussion would be fruitful only if Hazare heeds the appeals made by the Prime Minister, leader of the opposition, the speaker and the house and breaks his fast.

Leader of the opposition Sushma Swaraj said history has given the house an opportunity to pass this legislation and it should not miss it by getting entangled in technicalities.

"Let us give this country an effective, strong, free and impartial Lokpal," she said.

Ending all speculations about BJP's reservations on the three sticky points on which Team Anna was adamant, Swaraj said her party gives its consent to all of them.

The Congress also underlined that the government was agreeable to reasonable changes on the contentious issues and most of it is "a matter of dialogue and design".

Sandeep Dikshit (Cong) said the debate should firstly limit its aim to reaching a consensus so that Hazare can end his fast, which entered its 12th day today.

Swaraj touched upon several points about the Lokpal issue which have been in controversy recently.

"At a time when a former minister is saying the prime minister should be called in the court as a witness, the issue of including him in the ambit of Lokpal is important. The prime minister can put an end to this discussion by saying I am ready to come in its ambit," she said.

Swaraj insisted that while the prime minister himself says he wants to be included, nobody from the ruling party is paying heed to it.

"Our prime minister hardly speaks. And when he does you (Congress) don't listen to him. What he is saying is right, you should listen to him," Swaraj said.

BJP wants the prime minister to be exempt on issues of national security and public order.

On judicial accountability, both the Congress and the BJP appeared to be of the view that a separate bill can be brought.

BJP emphasised on the need for a National Judicial Commission for appointment of judges.

Swaraj charged Congress with very often using the CBI to target opposition leaders and cited the names of LK Advani, Yashwant Sinha, Sharad Yadav, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Jayalalithaa, among others.

She insisted that CBI should become an independent body.

"The most recent case is that of Jagan Mohan Reddy who was clean till he was in the Congress but facing raids after raids by the CBI now," she said.

Both Swaraj and Dikshit maintained that the immunity enjoyed by MPs for their conduct inside the House should continue as supremacy of Parliament should remain.

Swaraj said in the cash-for-query scam both houses of Parliament had between them removed 11 MPs for taking a mere bribe of Rs5,000 and this proves that the Parliament can deal with breach in conduct.

However, outside the House MPs are ordinary citizens and after the Narasimha Rao case the Prevention of Corruption Act and other laws applied to them, she said.

BJP wants the opposition to have a majority in the selection panel for choosing the Lokpal. Referring to the case of selection of PJ Thomas as CVC which she had opposed, Swaraj said it had left her wiser and the government should not be in a majority in any such a panel.

There was some difference of opinion between the main opposition and the Congress on establishing a Lok Ayukta in states with the BJP saying Article 252 gives Centre the power to make an "enabling provision" while Dikshit said this should be left to the states.

Though the BJP gave its consent to inclusion of lower bureaucracy, it cautioned that Lokpal may become an "unwieldy body" and this provision may have a "psychological effect" on the low-level officials.

Dikshit said the Jan Lokpal Bill is "not sacrosanct" as the civil society members have themselves amended it "10-12 times". He argued that the government's views on Lokpal can also be incorporated in the law to be passed.

He took dig at Team Anna, saying they had clarified doubts on the Lokpal issue only two nights ago when the same could have been done much earlier.

Dikshit maintained that most differences can be sorted out through dialogue, including on the inclusion of PM, higher judiciary and provisions of drafts prepared by Aruna Roy, Dalit Samaj and Jayaprakash Narayan of Andhra Pradesh.