The first step towards evolving a consensus on the Lokpal Bill was taken on Tuesday evening when the UPA government’s allies met at prime minister Manmohan Singh’s residence at 7, Race Course Road, in the capital.
The first step towards evolving a consensus on the Lokpal Bill was taken on Tuesday evening when the UPA government’s allies met at prime minister Manmohan Singh’s residence at 7, Race Course Road, in the capital. The meeting, which was followed by a dinner, signals a thaw in the Lokpal logjam.
Home minister P Chidambaram and minister of state for parliamentary affairs V Narayanasamy told reporters waiting outside the prime minister’s residence that the meeting was cordial and fruitful. This was an indication that the Congress party, which had faced stiff resistance from Trinamool Congress over the FDI in multi-brand retail last week and from the Nationalist Congress Party over the food security bill at cabinet meeting earlier in the day, might find itself being aided by the two alliance partners TMC and NCP when it comes to pushing the Lokpal legislation.
Narayanasamy told DNA that the Tuesday’s meeting went off well, and when asked whether there was consensus on the Lokpal issue, said, “Tomorrow is the meeting of all the parties wherein the Congress allies in the UPA will also be present.”
Another key ally, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), has left it to the government to decide whether Group C government staff should be brought under the Lokpal or not. On the question of inclusion of the prime minister under the purview of Lokpal, the party has been arguing that when Tamil Nadu legislated for a Lok Ayukta in the 1970s, with DMK in power, the then chief minister was brought under the purview of the Lok Ayukta.
The party extends the same principle and wants the prime minister to be brought into the Lokpal’s ambit. But it is not taking a rigid stance over it. The party is also not seriously worried about the demands of Anna Hazare and his aides.
Party spokesperson TKS Elangovan told DNA, “There should be no difficulty in pushing through the Lokpal legislation because all the political parties are more or less agreed on the issue of ombudsman in principle.”
TR Baalu, former minister and DMK leader, also attended the meeting on Tuesday.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}