The ruling Congress grumbles that all the government's frantic efforts to draft a Bill that will find favour with Anna may to come naught. Senior party leader Digvijaya Singh has tweeted, "Govt of India making a serious attempt to include most of the demands in Lok Pal but Anna Team won't still be satisfied. Their agenda is Political. (sic)"
Watching keenly is 74-year-old Anna Hazare, who too had a busy weekend, city-hopping and changing plans with an eye on Delhi. He has cancelled a visit to Hyderabad, will not head to Delhi either. Anna is going home to Pune and will be there till the Bill comes before Parliament. He is reported to have expressed the desire to watch Parliament discuss the Bill from the visitor's gallery.
Anna has repeatedly said he hopes the anti-graft law that envisages the setting up of an ombudsman body to investigate corruption in government will see light of day in this session. But he is ready with Plan B - Mr Hazare has threatened to go on yet another fast from December 27 and begin a "jail bharo (fill jails)" agitation from January 1 if the bill is not passed in this session. He is emphatic that the deadline will not change, but has suggested that the government extend the present session if it is running out of time. "Parliament's limit is December 22nd. We say extend the limit, for the country...extend it by two, four, five days and make this bill a law in that time. Only after that adjourn the Parliament...Everyone has assured that this bill will be passed in this parliament session, so fulfill that assurance", Mr Hazare said yesterday.
Since last week, the government has attempted to find a consensus on some key demands of Team Anna that have remained contentious. It seems to have, through many confabulations, found a please-all formula to include the Prime Minister under the ambit of the ombudsman body, with adequate safeguards. But the inclusion of the CBI and the modalities of how 5.7 million junior bureaucrats will be included are still outstanding issues with no common ground yet between the government, various Opposition parties and Team Anna.
Watching keenly is 74-year-old Anna Hazare, who too had a busy weekend, city-hopping and changing plans with an eye on Delhi. He has cancelled a visit to Hyderabad, will not head to Delhi either. Anna is going home to Pune and will be there till the Bill comes before Parliament. He is reported to have expressed the desire to watch Parliament discuss the Bill from the visitor's gallery.
Anna has repeatedly said he hopes the anti-graft law that envisages the setting up of an ombudsman body to investigate corruption in government will see light of day in this session. But he is ready with Plan B - Mr Hazare has threatened to go on yet another fast from December 27 and begin a "jail bharo (fill jails)" agitation from January 1 if the bill is not passed in this session. He is emphatic that the deadline will not change, but has suggested that the government extend the present session if it is running out of time. "Parliament's limit is December 22nd. We say extend the limit, for the country...extend it by two, four, five days and make this bill a law in that time. Only after that adjourn the Parliament...Everyone has assured that this bill will be passed in this parliament session, so fulfill that assurance", Mr Hazare said yesterday.
Since last week, the government has attempted to find a consensus on some key demands of Team Anna that have remained contentious. It seems to have, through many confabulations, found a please-all formula to include the Prime Minister under the ambit of the ombudsman body, with adequate safeguards. But the inclusion of the CBI and the modalities of how 5.7 million junior bureaucrats will be included are still outstanding issues with no common ground yet between the government, various Opposition parties and Team Anna.
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