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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Hazare begins fast, govt stays firm by Sanjay K Jha

Hazare begins fast, govt stays firm by Sanjay K Jha

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published Published on Apr 5, 2011   modified Modified on Apr 5, 2011
The Manmohan Singh government and the Congress leadership appear to have overcome initial jitters and hardened their stand on the campaign launched by social activists led by Anna Hazare who began a “fast-unto-death” at Delhi’s agitation hub Jantar Mantar this morning.

The Congress suspects that the entire campaign has been hijacked by the RSS which, the party feels, is looking for ways to destabilise the government after some Sangh leaders were linked with terror activities.

“The RSS co-opted Jayaprakash Narayan and used the anti-Emergency campaign to grab power, it is doing the same with Anna Hazare. He has become a tool in the hands of those who want to destabilise the government,” a Congress leader said.

Similar sentiments were expressed by ministers who pointed out the association of some “gurus” with the campaign and alleged that the RSS was using its powerful communication machinery to spread allegations that the government has not acted against corruption.

A minister pointed out that the Prime Minister was keen on getting the Lok Pal Bill enacted and had asked a group of ministers headed by Pranab Mukherjee to work out a comprehensive anti-corruption legal framework.

The government sources are emphatically rejecting the “bizarre idea” of letting any group dictate terms on the nature of legislation to be framed. “An artificial hysteria generated by a group of activists and fanned by a few television anchors cannot drive the law-making process in the country. If civil society groups usurp the right to frame laws, let Parliament be disbanded and the state wither away. This will open floodgates that will destroy the fundamentals of our democracy,” a senior Congress leader said.

The government is open to the idea of constructive engagement with the civil society even on legislative business but it feels that setting a condition that the proposal has to be accepted was unhealthy for democracy.

A senior minister told The Telegraph: “The BJP is today supporting the draft of the Lok Pal Bill given by Hazare and the group called India Against Corruption, but will it accept a draft on the communal violence bill prepared by some other social group? This kind of opportunism is dangerous and every responsible political party should understand only the government has the constitutional mandate to frame laws.”

Even the National Advisory Council (NAC) headed by Sonia Gandhi had reservations about the Lok Pal Bill but it cannot force the government to sign on the dotted line. Government sources said the NAC was also a mechanism for interface with the civil society and it cannot usurp the role of law-making.

“Constructive suggestions” were welcome from all corners but it is only the government which is competent enough to take a holistic and practical view, the minister said.

On the specifics of the Lok Pal Bill, Congress leaders believe that suggestions given by Hazare and the group were “dangerous”.

The government’s draft Lok Pal Bill says the general public cannot make complaints directly and they have to be routed through the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha chairperson whereas the activists want power to Lok Pal for suo motu action.

The Congress feels the Prime Minister cannot be left at the mercy of Lok Pal and no minister will be able to function if everybody was allowed to get a trial initiated against the person holding charge of a ministry. The government’s draft envisages Lok Pal to be an advisory body that can refer the case to a competent authority after inquiry.

In the case of ministers, the competent authority will be the Prime Minister. For complaints against the Prime Minister, the competent authority will be Parliament. The activists feel this provision will make the legislation ineffective but the government thinks enough safeguards were required to ensure a just system. The activists also want Lok Pal to have police powers.

According to sources, the Prime Minister is open to the idea of firming up the legislation but cannot accept the draft prepared by the group as it goes against the principles of constitutional governance.

The Congress today formally appealed to Hazare to withdraw his agitation and come to the negotiating table, iterating that it had great respect for the mission he had undertaken.

The Telegraph, 6 April, 2011, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110406/jsp/nation/story_13816374.jsp


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