Ahead of the Government's move to list the amended lokpal Bill for discussion in Rajya Sabha, Anna Hazare on Thursday targeted the BJP-led Opposition for its failure to pursue the anti-graft legislation issue both in the Upper House of Parliament and outside during the past one year.
As his hunger agitation pressing for the early enactment of lokpal Bill entered the third day, Hazare shot off a letter to the leader of Opposition Arun Jaitely, lamenting that the Opposition had, during the past one year, done precious little to corner the UPA dispensation for its delay in re-introducing the lokpal bill - which a Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha returned to the Government in November last year after carrying out necessary changes in it.
Responding to a letter written by Jaitley affirming his commitment to the highest norms of public accountability and detailing the efforts made by him and his party to pursue the enactment of a strong lokpal bill, Hazare said that he would not end his fast unless and until the anti-graft bill was passed in Rajya Sabha.
On a day when his erstwhile associate and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal skipped his visit to Ralegan-Siddhi on grounds of ill-health but rushed a team of his party members, led by Kumar Vishwas, to extend his party's support to the agitating social activist, Hazare turned up heat on the BJP-led NDA for its failure to play an effective role as the Opposition on the lokpal bill issue.
"The Select Committee of Rajya Sabha submitted its report on the lokpal bill to the Government on November 23, 2012. The Opposition has adopted an aggressive posture on many issues against the Government both in Parliament and outside. There have also been occasions when the Opposition has taken to streets to highlight some petty issues. But, it is surprising that the Opposition has neither resorted to an agitation nor has it cornered the Government on the lokpal issue for the past one year," Hazare wrote in his letter to Jaitely. "Despite the fact that the Government has not re-introduced the (Select committee-vetted) amended lokpal bill in Rajya Sabha for the past one year, the Opposition has done anything. While I have always doubts about the intent of the Government, the Opposition's conduct has also given rise to many questions," he said.
Alluding to a written assurance given to him by Parliament in August 2011 when it requested him to call off his hunger agitation, Hazare recalled that leader of the Opposition in lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj had assured the nation that the Jan lokpal Bill would be enacted soon.
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