For distinguished ex-IPS officer and Team Anna member Kiran Bedi, the ongoing tussle with the government for a strong Lokpal is an epic fight between protectionism and change.
In a telephonic interview, Bedi told DNA from New Delhi, “The Jan Lokpal marks a paradigm shift and talks of a completely different mindset to deal with corruption. As the government is not keen on changing the status quo, it is blocking the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill.”
After the Lokpal Bill draft was approved by the Union cabinet on Tuesday, Congress president and UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, described it as “a path-breaking legislation” and “the best the government can do”.
Bedi, who is known for her fiery rhetoric, criticised the UPA chairperson saying that “the draft was the worst the government could do”, and instead of being a path-breaker, it was “breaking the path”.
Pressing for the inclusion of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under Lokpal, Bedi said, “The government, instead of sharpening the tools to fight corruption, is blunting the tools. Once the CBI comes under the Lokpal, only then can we expect a proper fight against corruption.”
With the Union cabinet having cleared the Lokpal Bill draft, Bedi, like other Team Anna members, is keeping a close watch on the moves of opposition parties.
“The opposition parties had assured us of their
support on the floor of the house, and we have to look out for their response to the draft,” she said.
With Anna Hazare announcing a three-day fast in Mumbai, Bedi and other members of the team are getting ready for the next phase of the battle that has grabbed the nation’s attention since April.
Bedi said she was confident that the nation would rise to the occasion and support Hazare’s fast and future course of action.
