All-party meet fails to agree on Jan Lokpal Bill

Mangalore Today / CNN IBN

New Delhi, August 24: The all-party meeting on the Lokpal Bill on Wednesday failed to arrive at a consensus with leaders cutting across party lines making it clear that Parliament was supreme. All the parties at the meeting made it clear that some of the provisions of the Jan Lokpal Bill put forward by Anna Hazare and his associates were unacceptable as they violated the supremacy of Parliament.

Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi said that there was no unanimity among the parties on the Lokpal Bill. Joshi said that the all-party meeting has also appealed jointly to Anna Hazare to break his fast.

 

 

"This meeting of all parties in Parliament requests Shri Anna Hazare to end his fast. The meeting was also of the view that due consideration should be given to the Jan Lokpal Bill so that the Final Draft of the Lokpal Bill provides for a strong and effective Lokpal which is supported by a broad national consensus," a statement released at the end of the meeting said.


Jan Lokpal Bill sent to parliamentary panel


New Delhi: Appealing to Anna Hazare to end his fast, the government on Wednesday said it has forwarded Jan Lokpal Bill to Parliament’s Standing Committee for consideration and it is up to it to take a decision.

"We have forwarded Jan Lokpal Bill to the Standing Committee for its consideration. It is for the Committee to decide," Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy said in the Rajya Sabha.

Winding up a short duration discussion on the issue of corruption, he said the government has an "open mind" on the Jan Lokpal Bill.

On the issue of inclusion of Prime Minister under the ambit of the proposed legislation, Narayanasamy said Manmohan Singh himself was open to the idea.

Appealing to Hazare to end his nine-day-old fast, he said the Gandhian should help the government bring a strong and effective Lokpal Bill.

He, however, said Parliament is supreme. "Parliament and the rule of law should be upheld by the government," he said.


The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was against Team Anna’s demand for having lokayuktas in every state. The leaders were also unanimous that Team Anna’s strident demand of a deadline for the tabling and passing by Parliament of the Jan Lokpal Bill was unacceptable.

The meeting also asked for changes in the Government’s Lokpal Bill that has already been tabled in Parliament and sent to the standing committee.

Nine Opposition parties from the non-United Progressive Alliance and non-National Democratic Alliance camps, which included the Left Front, Telugu Desam Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal, AIADMK and others, asked the Government to withdraw the Lokpal Bill and introduce a strong and effective bill.

"We had demanded that the Government bill must be withdrawn. A new bill should be introduced which should have important point from the Jan Lokpal Bill and other sections of the civil society," said CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury.

Yechury said that the Government has agreed to withdraw the Lokpal Bill and introduce a new and stronger version of the legislation.

The Government, too, has not agreed to Anna Hazare’s demand of passing Jan Lokpal Bill in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

The all-party meeting was called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his 7 Race Course Road residence in New Delhi to discuss the new Lokpal Bill draft that the Government and Team Anna had finalised.

Meanwhile, Union Minister V Narayanasamy said that the Department of Personnel has forwarded Jan Lokpal Bill to Parliament Standing Committee for consideration.

"Government appeals to Hazare to end his fast and help bring a strong, effective Lokpal Bill. It is for the Standing Committee to consider the Jan Lokpal Bill. The government has an open mind," Narayanasamy said in the Rajya Sabha.