Bhushans to stay,rules civil society

While the Bhushans kept mum,activists Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi ruled out their resignation because of the “malicious campaign” against them.

They told a press conference in Delhi that the civil society members were together and the “entire malicious” campaign launched by some “corrupt elements in and out of government” was aimed at derailing the drafting of a strong Lokpal Bill.

“There is no question of anybody resigning from the joint committee. No one will resign. We are at a historic juncture where we are going to have a strong anti-corruption law. We are not the ones who run away from battle zones.”

Acting on a complaint,the Delhi police had referred to the Central Forensic Laboratory (CFSL) a CD purported to have conversations between Shanti Bhushan,Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh in which a suggestion is being made about fixing a judge.

The CFSL has found that the CD was not doctored as “the recorded conversation is in continuity and no abrupt change in speech signal detected”.

This contradicted a report obtained by Prashant Bhushan from a private lab in Hyderabad the CD was tampered with.

After the CFSL report was made public,Amar Singh made a direct demand direct for the resignation of Bhushans while the Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari and Digvijay Singh made subtle suggestions that they should quit.

One of the NGO activists,Omkar Razdan,who had gone on fast with Anna Hazare in Jantar Mantar,issued a statement that the Hazare movement will be killed by the Bhushans who,he said,should quit the panel.

Bedi claimed that they had asked the government to nominate the Leader of Opposition in the joint panel to make it more “inclusive” but they did not listen to them and decided against their suggestion.

“We are small people. We have nothing else but self respect and honesty. We have a work to do and that is drafting a strong Lokpal Bill,” Kejriwal said.

He said,the “present atmosphere” will not have any bearing on the joint committee proceedings as committee meetings “will continue” and the drafting of the bill “will continue”.

Kejriwal said the Bhushans had not offered to quit the ten-member drafting panel,which has five each members from the government and the civil society. However,they made an appeal to the father-son duo not to quit the panel as their “expertise” was needed in drafting the Lokpal Bill.

“These are difficult times. Some forces are targeting us. There is no substance in these allegations,” he said defending the Bhushans,both members of the joint drafting committee,getting embroiled in controversies over contents of a controversial CD and allotment of farmhouse plots in Noida.

“If Shanti Bhushan resigns,Prashant Bhushan resigns,Hazare resigns…who will benefit from this? We have a historic opportunity. But let us not squander it,” Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal claimed the plot allotment to the senior Bhushan and his son Jayant were in order and there was neither discretionary quota not some favours were done to them and rejected the government forensic laboratory report.

Responding to allegations that he was only taking action against others and not against Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa,who is facing allegations of corruption,he said,”There is no one who has fought Yeddyurappa,the way I have. My hands are tied,yet I have taken action,issued notices,sought explanation.”