Furore over Sibal’s remarks on Lokpal Bill

New Delhi, April 11 (PTI): Controversy dogged the Joint Committee set up to draft an effective Lok Pal even before it starts its work with Gandhian Anna Hazare on Monday asking HRD Minister Kapil Sibal to resign from the panel “if he feels nothing will come out of this institution.” His colleagues in the campaign for a strong Lok Pal Bill, Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal, also slammed Mr. Sibal, who, however, denied having made any such statement and that he was with Mr. Hazare for drafting a strong anti-corruption legislation.
The 73-year-old social activist, who fought a successful battle for constitution of a 10-member committee of ministers and civil society representatives, said “If Sibal feels that nothing will happen due to the Lok Pal Bill then he should resign from the joint committee as soon as possible.” Before leaving for his village Ralegaon Siddhi in Maharashtra, he told reporters “Why is he (Sibal) wasting his and our time? He should do other things for the country. Why does he want to be in the committee?”
Activists condemn
Sibal’s remarks
Former IPS officer Kiran Bedi said Mr. Sibal should not waste the time of other committee members if he had no faith in its efforts. “Then it is better for him to withdraw from the committee,” she said. Activist Arvind Kejriwal said Mr. Sibal should not have made “sweeping” statements on the Lokpal which were raising doubts about the “seriousness” of the government in bringing in the legislation. Mr. Kejriwal said “If you are not getting admission in a school, you can get some relief. But if there is no school, then Lok pal will not help you. It is a different domain and government has to do it,” he said adding the legislation is meant only for tackling corruption.”
 “How many more obstacles?”
Questioning the sincerity and seriousness of the government on the issue, Mr. Kejriwal said, “Obstacles were put on even small issue like issuing a notification on the setting up of the joint drafting committee.  “Now how many obstacles they will put during the committee meetings, we don’t know. We have great fear. May be many more protests are needed,” Mr. Kejriwal said. He said when the legislation has people’s backing “Sibal cannot do anything.”
Sibal clarifies
Asked about Mr. Hazare’s demand, Mr. Sibal told reporters that he was with the Gandhian and that he wanted the Bill to be drafted as early as possible and to be effective in tackling corruption everywhere. Mr. Sibal had on Sunday told a public meeting here, “I ask this question. If a poor child does not have any means for education, then how will Lokpal Bill help? If a poor man needs help for medical services then, he will call up a politician. How will Lokpal Bill help?”
Clarifying his Sunday’s remarks, he said what he had meant was that “the scope of the Bill is different. The problems of the common man are different.”  “I said that if you want to educate children, then this has no connection to Lokpal… Lokpal is only connected to corruption and we will bring a good bill that will stop corruption.”
Recording the panel proceedings
The other minister on the panel Salman Khurshid said a decision to video record the proceeding of the Joint Committee Bill as sought by Gandhian Anna Hazare has to taken by the panel itself. Responding to a question on the demand by Mr. Hazare to videograph and make public the proceedings of the Committee to ensure transparency in the drafting process, Mr. Khurshid said, “The Joint Drafting Committee is supposed to decide its own procedure. This procedure about making whatever happens there public or televising it, will be decided by the Committee itself.... I can’t comment on it as an individual.”

He said the draft Lok Pal Bill was a “high priority” and it will be ready “very soon.” Asked whether the bill which seeks to create an Ombudsman will be effective in fighting corruption, he said, “The way we try to better ourselves in other facets of life, this will be done in politics also and this will be an important step in that direction.” But, he added, “Has God’s existence ended all the vices? We still have to tell good things to our children. We still have to build temples and pray.”
BJP doubts
 government’s intentions
Meanwhile, BJP waded into the controversy saying comments by ministers Mr. Sibal and Mr. Khurshid, who is also a member of the committee, raises doubts over the government’s intentions on making an effective law. Party spokesperson Nirmala Seetharaman said Mr. Sibal, who made controversial statements on 2G scam, was in the habit of saying something first and retracting it later. “The kind of statements he is making does not instill confidence,” she said.  Seetharaman also faulted Mr. Khurshid for his statement and said the kind of statements coming from responsible ministers did not look like they were “working for consensus.”
Wait and watch, says Congress
Congress answered the criticism against the ministers saying “we should not queer the pitch.” Party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said one should not get into charges and counter-charges when a positive process has been set in motion. The Committee, chaired by senior minister Pranab Mukherjee, is to hold its first meeting on April 16 and is expected to come out with its draft of the Bill by June 30.
 
Kapil Sibal should resign from panel if he doesn’t believe in Lokpal Bill: Anna

NEW Delhi, april 11 (agencies):
Gandhian Anna Hazare on Monday said Union HRD minister Kapil Sibal should resign from the joint committee to draft the Lokpal Bill “if he feels nothing will happen” out of this institution. Reacting to a reported statement of Sibal on the Lokpal institution, he said, “If Sibal feels that nothing will happen due to the Lokpal Bill then he should resign from the joint committee as soon as possible. “Why is he wasting his and our time? He should do other things for the country. Why does he want to be in the committee. If you believe that nothing will happen, you should not be there in the joint committee, he should resign and do some other work,” he told reporters before he left for his hometown in Maharashtra.
Hazare took exception to JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy’s remarks that “if Mahatma Gandhi was alive today, he would have either fallen prey to corruption or would have shunned politics itself”. “If our leaders are talking like this, how are you going to root out corruption,” the 73-year-old activist, who successfully led the agitation on the Lokpal Bill issue, said. Activist Kiran Bedi said Sibal should not waste the time of other committee members if he had no faith in its efforts. “Then it is better for him to withdraw from the committee,” she said. Activist Arvind Kejriwal said Sibal should not have made “sweeping” statements on the Lokpal which were raising doubts about the “seriousness” of the government in bringing in the legislation.