Union minister offers to resign to support Hazare

Dinesh Trivedi, Union minister of state for health, had offered to resign in a letter written to Anna Hazare within first few hours of his fast at Jantar Mantar on April 5.

Trivedi has told Hazare that he is ready to do anything to strengthen his fight against corruption. Trivedi, member of Parliament from Barrackpore, West Bengal, and senior leader of the Trinmool Congress, has been associated with Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal since many years.

Trivedi had fought a significant legal battle when the Vohra committee report was submitted to government that gave evidence of a nexus between the underworld and politicians and bureaucrats. He and many other enlightened people had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court in 1997. Trivedi wanted the government to take action on the basis of the Vohra committee report to curb corruption in politics.

Although the petition was disposed off, the court had made many important observations before doing so.

The apex court said that to pursue an investigation and prosecution into the nexus between the underworld and powerful persons an independent body is needed which will not be influenced by people who wield clout.
Trivedi has offered to resign in spirit of his petition in 1997. The Supreme Court itself had recommended that government institute a lokpal.

Supreme Court Justices A M Ahmadi and Sujata Manohar had said in their judgment in response to Trivedi's writ petition that, "In view of the seriousness of the charges involved (in the Vohra committee report) and the clout wielded by those who are likely to become the focus of investigation, it is necessary that the body which is entrusted with the task of following the investigation through to the stage of prosecution, be such that it is capable of enjoying the complete trust and confidence of the people."

In view of Hazare's fast and people's response to it, it's wonderful to read what the judges said, then, "Moreover, in view of the suspicion that those involved may well be individuals who occupy, or have occupied, high positions in government, it is necessary that the body be able to obtain the sanctions which are necessarily required before any prosecutions can be launched.

"In the case of public servants, sanctions are required, for instance, under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and under Section 6 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947. The nodal agency, in its present form, may not command the confidence of the people in this regard; this is a serious handicap for, in such matters, people's confidence is of the essence. An institution like the ombudsman or a lokpal, properly set up, could command such confidence and respect."

In view of this background and the court's observations during his intervention on the issue, Trivedi has decided to show courage of his conviction by offering to resign.

When his own government dithering over the small issue of chairmanship of a joint committee that would draft the lokpal bill, Trivedi's offer has come as a surprise.

Currently, Trivedi is campaigning for his party in the interiors of West Bengal.