Veteran trouble-shooter Pranab Mukherjee to break Lokpal logjam

In a breakthrough in the week-long standoff, the government Tuesday appointed Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee as its negotiator for talks on Lokpal bill even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed to Anna Hazare to end his fast.

The appointment of government's veteran trouble-shooter came on a day of hectic consultations in the government to resolve the standoff over Lokpal issue as the 74-year-old Gandhian's fast entered second week.

Close on the heels of the decision, Singh wrote a letter to Hazare appealing to him to end his fast, saying his health was a matter of "abiding concern" for the government.

He also promised Hazare that his version of Lokpal Bill could be referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee for which the government would request the Speaker.

The ice-breaking development came during the first direct contact between the two sides at the residence of Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit when Law Minister Salman Khurshid met Hazare close aide Arvind Kejriwal and discussed how to go about the issue.

"Just now Salman Khurshid has invited us for discussions. He has said that Pranab Mukherjee has been appointed by the government to talk to us.

Kejriwal and other key Team Anna members- Prashant Bhushan and Kiran Bedi- were appointed by Hazare to negotiate with the government.