It may be premature for Anna Hazare’s supporters to paint the town red on the issue of the Lokpal bill, as the five-civilian, five-minister team is yet to get down to drafting the bill.
It may be premature for Anna Hazare’s supporters to paint the town red on the issue of the Lokpal bill. If one takes a look at the ten members of the joint drafting committee, five each from civil society and the government, only two members, Arvind Kerjriwal and Anna Hazare himself, are not lawyers.
That gives a glimpse of what could happen in the joint drafting committee once all the legal eagles sit down and discuss every section of the Jan Lokpal Bill, drafted by Prashant Bhushan, N Santosh Hegde and Arvind Kejriwal.
The five nominated ministers are Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram, M Veerappa Moily, Kapil Sibal and Salman Khursheed while the civil society members are Anna Hazare, former Supreme Court judge N Santosh Hegde, advocates Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan and RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal.
Talking about the future plans, Kejriwal told DNA: “The real battle starts now. We will first present our bill to the ministers and then would try to understand the differences. Once we know the clauses or sections they have problems with, we would start discussions. We would try to build consensus and clear apprehensions.”
Asked about the possibility of a deadlock, he said: “We will need people’s support at each and every step. We would keep in touch with all those who supported the movement. People should be ready to get on the streets whenever it is required.”
The joint drafting committee has to complete its work by June 30, following which it has to be cleared in parliament before it is presented in the monsoon session.
Earlier, Anna Hazare also admitted that struggle will continue till bill is drafted, cleared by cabinet and passed by parliament.
Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan said differences within the committee would be sorted out. “We all are reasonable people and our aim is a strong Lokpal bill. The committee members can easily discuss and sort differences as and when they arise,”
Bhushan told DNA while replying to a query as to what would
happen if disagreement arises in that joint committee between activists and minister.
Asked if it is possible to bring the Lokpal bill in upcoming monsoon session, Bhushan said: “It is very much possible and can easily be done.” Meanwhile, founder of Art of Living foundation Sri Sri Ravi Shankar welcomed prime minister Manmohan Singh’s decision of accepting the demands. “The job has just begun. This is the right step in the right direction,” he said and hoped the prime minister would “get rid of all the corrupt elements in high places including some ministers.”
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