In what came as music to the ears of the Congress-led UPA Government, Anna Hazare said on Saturday that he was satisfied with the provisions of the amended lokpal Bill and would break his fast once the legislation was enacted.
Minutes after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi made a strong case for the passage of lokpal Bill in Parliament saying that it was of “national importance” and would be “a serious weapon to fight corruption”, Hazare said in Ralegan-Siddhi: “I am satisfied with whatever I have seen of the amended draft lokpal Bill and so I welcome it…. I will call off my fast soon after Rajya Sabha passes the amended Bill, lok Sabha endorses it and the President signs it into a law”.
Hazare, whose fast entered fifth day on Saturday, said that he had gone through the amended lokpal Bill tabled in Rajya Sabha on Friday and the draft legislation met most of his expectations. “It does not matter two or things I wanted have not been incorporated in the Bill. ..It will be wrong if I try to impose my view on Parliament. Because, Parliament has its own place of prominence,” he said.
Dwelling upon the positive features in the amended Anti-Graft Bill, Hazare made a special mention of the selection process of the lokpal which would be appointed by a collegium that would comprise an eminent jurist selected through consensus by its other four members - the Prime Minister, lok Sabha Speaker, leader of the Opposition in the lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India.
“Bringing the Prime Minister under the purview of lokpal and having CBI and CVC under the ombudsman’s control are two other good features. We had been insisting for a long time on freeing CBI from Government control,” the Gandhian said.
Welcoming the recommendation made in the amended lokpal Bill for the setting up lokayuktas in States, Hazare said: “This is good. If State Governments don’t set up lokayukta now, the people will take to streets,” he said.
Hazare was appreciative of another provision in the amended bill that vests the power with the lokpal to seize the properties of persons facing corruption charges.
“The deadline of three months to CBI for completing a preliminary inquiry, six months for a detailed probe and settling the cases within a year is a welcome step, too.. Bringing NGOs receiving funds from abroad under the purview of lokpal is also a good move,” the Gandhian said.
Alluding to his three other demands, including the like citizen’s charter, steps for protection of whistleblowers and the one relating to judiciary, Hazare said: “ I have no issue as far as these three demands are concerned, because the Government is bringing separate bills in Parliament to address these things”.
Queried if he considered the introduction the amended lokpal Bill was his victory, Hazare said in jest: “What is victory for a poor man sitting in a village templeIJ”
Earlier in the day, former IPS officer-turned-activist Kiran Bedi joined Hazare in his fast. “I am on a hunger strike for the first time in life. I would like to continue as long as Anna carries on with his fast,” Bedi said.
Meanwhile, the five-day-old fast has begun to take its toll on Hazare’s health. “Hazare has lost 3.68 kgs of weight, while his blood pressure is on the higher side,” doctors attending on him said.