Sonia-Hazare meet on Lokpal Bill unlikely today

"No meeting is likely between Anna Hazare and Sonia Gandhi. No appointment has been fixed for Thursday," sources at 10 Janpath, residence of Gandhi, said.

Hazare had on Wednesday said that he will try to persuade Gandhi to include the office of the prime minister in the Lokpal Bill. "We will meet all parties. We will meet Sonia and tell her if the prime minister is saying so, then what is the problem," he had said.

He had said the incumbent Dr Manmohan Singh is an honest man. "The Union cabinet belongs to India, the people in the cabinet are our people. Then what is the problem in taking the decision? They should be able to take it for the country."

Hazare was responding to Dr Singh's remarks that he had no hesitation in bringing himself under the purview of Lokpal, but many of his cabinet colleagues feel that bringing the institution of the prime minister under it will create instability.

Reaching out to political parties ahead of the all-party meeting, the Hazare team had met Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Prakash Karat and Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh to explain their position on the Lokpal Bill on Wednesday.