Will protest in front of Sonia’s home if no Lokpal Bill: Anna

Racing against time the Department of Personnel has begun drafting the Lokpal legislation taking into account the views of the Parliamentary Standing Committee and those of various political parties as articulated at yesterday’s all-party meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

What appears to be certain now is that the Lokpal Bill would be introduced before December 22 when both Houses of Parliament are scheduled to adjourn sine die.

However,the government has the option of extending the session into early January and taking a year-end break to enable members to be with their families for Christmas and the New Year. Both Houses could reconvene in the first week of January to consider the Lokpal law.

The draft legislation is expected to be considered by the Union Cabinet early next week,either on Sunday or Monday,after the Prime Minister returns from Moscow on Saturday. It could then be introduced in Parliament on December 20 or 21.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal today expressed confidence that the government would be able to introduce the Bill before the scheduled conclusion of the session on December 22.

He pointed out that 35 political parties had given their views at yesterday’s meeting without there being a consensus. This had increased the government’s workload,he said. Taking note of these differing views and making amendments in the proposed bill accordingly was the task at hand for the government,he said.

Meanwhile,after a meeting of his core committee,Hazare announced his new agitation to fill up jails and demanded that the Parliament session be extended to enable passage.

He said he would himself lead the agitation in front of the residences of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. Demonstrations would be held in front of MPs who oppose the Bill.

Earlier in the day,Anna Hazare said the ongoing winter session of Parliament should be extended to pass Lokpal Bill and threatened to go on a hunger strike if it is not introduced soon.

His remarks came a day after a consensus eluded political parties on the Lokpal Bill.

The activist said he has confidence in Parliament that it will pass the Bill as everybody in government has given his team the assurance that it would be done.

“(There will be a consensus) in Parliament if not at the all-party meeting. Yesterday people put forward right points,some pointed out the deficiencies.

“Everybody in the government is giving us assurances that we will get a Lokpal Bill. So we should have faith in them. But if they don’t bring it,then we will have to agitate,” he said ahead of the second day of Team Anna’s Core Committee meeting.

Hazare was responding to questions on a consensus eluding the all-party meeting on Lokpal Bill and apprehensions that the Bill would not be passed in the ongoing winter session.

Repeating his demand for extension of the ongoing session to pass the bill,he said,”if there is no time for passing the bill (according to the present schedule),then extend it.

“It is important for the country. Earlier also,you have occasions when the Session was extended,” he said.

He also said the venue of his proposed protest from December 27 could be shifted to Mumbai depending on the weather conditions in Delhi. “If the climate is good,then it will be in Delhi,” he added.

Replying to questions on the all-party meeting,Team Anna member Kiran Bedi said almost all parties were unanimous on CBI getting autonomy.

When pointed out that some leaders have cautioned against rushing through the Bill,Bedi said,”Who are these parties? Not the BJP surely as Sushma Swaraj tweeted that they want it in this session. Are they managed voices,isolated voices?”.