Anna meets Advani, gets time with Sonia tomorrow

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, July 1, 2011:  At 74, Anna Hazare is busy with his road show. He is spending his time meeting one political party after another. His calling card: his team’s version of the Lokpal Bill, intended to check corruption among politicians, and rejected by the government as impractical.

The Gandhian met this morning with senior BJP leader LK Advani. Yesterday, he met with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He will meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday at 4 pm, possibly the most crucial pit-stop before Sunday.

That’s when the government has invited opposition parties to a discussion on the Lokpal Bill (Ombdusman’s Bill). There are two drafts of the Bill -  one prepared by five ministers, the other by five activists led by Mr Hazare. Together, the ten men formed the Lokpal Joint Drafting Committee. They started out with wide differences over the main features of the Bill; nine meetings and nearly three months later, they ended with those differences exaggerated by public disputes and accusations of betrayal.

The BJP says it has yet to decide on whether it will attend the all-party meeting on Sunday.  Speaking to NDTV on Thursday, party president Nitin Gadkari said, "The NDA will meet and take a decision on whether to attend." He said that the government should have reached out to include the Opposition when it set up the committee to draft the Bill. "The UPA wants us to attend the all-party meeting because now it needs our help," he said.

As the major Opposition party, the BJP has also yet to publicly state its stand on the headline of the Lokpal controversy - whether the new law against corruption should cover the Prime Minister’s office.  An essential, says Anna; an impossibility, retaliates the government.  Asked why the BJP had not spelt out its own position, Mr. Gadkari said, " We are yet to take a decision on this. Our committee is studying the proposals and we will respond in Parliament."

Courtesy: NDTV