Lokpal: Meet with Advani encouraging, says Team Hazare

Activists Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia briefed Advani about the deliberations in the joint draft committee meetings on the Bill and their stand on Jan Lokpal Bill and the government's draft.

"The meeting was very encouraging. Advani told us that the country needs an effective Lokpal. He heard us and requested us that we make a detailed presentaton before senior BJP leaders," Bedi told PTI after the meeting.

Sisodia said Hazare and others will take part in the deliberations with top BJP leaders which will be held before the all-party meeting convened by the government on the Lokpal Bill in the first week of July.

The Anna camp said they were not looking for assurances from the party at this point, as they wanted only to put across their views and brief Advani about it.

The meeting was part of the Hazare team's efforts to reach out to political parties. They had earlier announced that they will be meeting all political parties.

Raising their pitch on the Lokpal Bill issue, the Hazare team on Thursday alleged that the government version of the ombudsman was not aimed at fighting corruption but for targeting those who complain against the menace.

The Hazare team felt that the exclusion of a large chunk of the bureaucracy from the ambit of Lokpal and the provision to hear officials accused of corruption before filing of case and charge sheet were not proper.