New Delhi, December 20 (Agencies): Accusing the UPA of ignoring the voice of people, Anna Hazare on Tuesday said he will go ahead with his fast and 'jail bharo' agitation from December 27, alleging that a "weak" Citizens' Charter Bill showed that government's intentions were not honest on Lokpal Bill. Rejecting the Citizens' Charter Bill, Hazare said the people of the country were cheated by the government and he will go ahead with the plans to campaign against the government in the Assembly elections in five poll-bound states.
"Let the government go its way, we will go our way. I have decided that I will continue to fight till there is life in me," the 74-year-old activist told reporters at his native village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra. "More bills are coming. But from the one (Citizens' Charter Bill), we know that what it is in store. They have brought a topsy-turvy Citizens' Charter Bill. "...The intentions of the government are not honest. It is decided that my fast will go ahead. I will fast on December 27, 28 and 29. From December 30, onwards there will be jail bharo agitation till January one," Hazare told reporters.
Hazare's close associate Arvind Kejriwal said Hazare will go on fast in Mumbai. Hazare said Parliament has passed a resolution on August 27 that Citizens' Charter, lower bureaucracy and Lokayuktas under Lokpal and that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had conveyed this to him.
"Now it is another chapter of cheating. It is an insult to Parliament that they have brought a separate Citizens' Charter. They say I have insulted Parliament, that I don't listen to Parliament. But it is them who have insulted Parliament. They don't trust Parliament," he said. Maintaining that the government's intentions on bringing an effective Lokpal bill were 'suspect', Hazare said the government was ignoring the 'voice of the people'. "The common man's life has become miserable due to all-pervasive corruption. But the government has become blind. It cannot see or hear the suffering of the people," he said. "Let the government go its way, we will go our way. I have decided that I will continue to fight till there is life in me," Anna said.
Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Tuesday also slammed the government for the proposed draft of the Lokpal Bill and said that extension would be worth if it was for a strong Lokpal with CBI out of government control and with Lokpal. Everything depends on the content of the bill. She was reacting to reports about government deciding to extend the winter session by three days from December 27 to facilitate the passage of the Lokpal Bill and some other key legislations.
Pressing for inclusion of CBI under the Lokpal, she said, "Unless independent Lokpal replaces government for oversight over CBI, expect no change in the anti-corruption systems. Let's not be fooled. Mere tweaking will not work. It will dilute whatever is remaining. "If we leave any weak point in Lokpal bill and we do not see substantial reduction in corruption it shall be a dream shattered. Now or Never!" Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal told TV channels that the government is creating an institution which does not have any investigating power.
"Let the government go its way, we will go our way. I have decided that I will continue to fight till there is life in me," the 74-year-old activist told reporters at his native village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra. "More bills are coming. But from the one (Citizens' Charter Bill), we know that what it is in store. They have brought a topsy-turvy Citizens' Charter Bill. "...The intentions of the government are not honest. It is decided that my fast will go ahead. I will fast on December 27, 28 and 29. From December 30, onwards there will be jail bharo agitation till January one," Hazare told reporters.
Hazare's close associate Arvind Kejriwal said Hazare will go on fast in Mumbai. Hazare said Parliament has passed a resolution on August 27 that Citizens' Charter, lower bureaucracy and Lokayuktas under Lokpal and that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had conveyed this to him.
"Now it is another chapter of cheating. It is an insult to Parliament that they have brought a separate Citizens' Charter. They say I have insulted Parliament, that I don't listen to Parliament. But it is them who have insulted Parliament. They don't trust Parliament," he said. Maintaining that the government's intentions on bringing an effective Lokpal bill were 'suspect', Hazare said the government was ignoring the 'voice of the people'. "The common man's life has become miserable due to all-pervasive corruption. But the government has become blind. It cannot see or hear the suffering of the people," he said. "Let the government go its way, we will go our way. I have decided that I will continue to fight till there is life in me," Anna said.
Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Tuesday also slammed the government for the proposed draft of the Lokpal Bill and said that extension would be worth if it was for a strong Lokpal with CBI out of government control and with Lokpal. Everything depends on the content of the bill. She was reacting to reports about government deciding to extend the winter session by three days from December 27 to facilitate the passage of the Lokpal Bill and some other key legislations.
Pressing for inclusion of CBI under the Lokpal, she said, "Unless independent Lokpal replaces government for oversight over CBI, expect no change in the anti-corruption systems. Let's not be fooled. Mere tweaking will not work. It will dilute whatever is remaining. "If we leave any weak point in Lokpal bill and we do not see substantial reduction in corruption it shall be a dream shattered. Now or Never!" Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal told TV channels that the government is creating an institution which does not have any investigating power.
Lokpal Bill approved
New Delhi, December 20 (Agencies): The Lokpal Bill draft has been cleared by the Union Cabinet on Tuesday. The decision has been taken in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which was being held at the Parliament House complex. The government has decided that the CBI will not be under the Lokpal but the Prime Minister will come under its ambit with riders. Sources said that the bill will be tabled in the Parliament as early as on December 22. The stage is set for another Anna-UPA showdown. The Cabinet has cleared the Lokpal bill a shorthwhile ago, and has rejected many of Team Anna's demands.
Sources say the Lokpal will supervise only those corruption cases referred to it by CBI. Administrative control over CBI will remain with the Department of Personnel and Training. Sources also say that the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition, CJI will choose the CBI chief. The Lokpal will have no say in the matter.
New Delhi, December 20 (Agencies): The Lokpal Bill draft has been cleared by the Union Cabinet on Tuesday. The decision has been taken in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which was being held at the Parliament House complex. The government has decided that the CBI will not be under the Lokpal but the Prime Minister will come under its ambit with riders. Sources said that the bill will be tabled in the Parliament as early as on December 22. The stage is set for another Anna-UPA showdown. The Cabinet has cleared the Lokpal bill a shorthwhile ago, and has rejected many of Team Anna's demands.
Sources say the Lokpal will supervise only those corruption cases referred to it by CBI. Administrative control over CBI will remain with the Department of Personnel and Training. Sources also say that the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition, CJI will choose the CBI chief. The Lokpal will have no say in the matter.
