Centre has BETRAYED us, says Team Anna

Fresh signs of trouble emerged on the Lokpal issue on Saturday with activist Anna Hazare and his aides terming as a "betrayal" the government's refusal to pass a resolution over the issue, which is their prime demand.

"This is clearly a betrayal. What else is this? In the last four days, the government has changed its stand thrice," Arvind Kejriwal, a close associate of Anna Hazare, told reporters after Team Anna held a fresh round of talks with government representatives.

"Last night, we were given the impression that there would be a resolution, which would be voted upon in Parliament, on the three issues which have been mentioned by Anna Hazare in his letter to the prime minister. Now we have been told that there will neither be any resolution nor any voting," he said.

"There will be some discussion at the end of which some sense of the House will be conveyed. This is not what we had understood at all. And if this is the case then this is not going to be very helpful or meaningful at all," said Prashant Bhushan, another key member of Team Anna.

If no resolution is adopted and no voting takes place, and if this is the response to Anna Hazare's letter, then it is "very unfortunate", the lawyer said.

The fresh trouble comes amidst concerns over the health of 74-year-old Gandhian, who has been fasting for the last 12 days.

While some have accused members of Team Anna of pushing too hard for their demands, Hazare's associates have alleged that the government has "betrayed" it by changing its stance on the Lokpal issue.

"In Parliament, every party has said that they are with Team Anna, then why is voting not taking place," Kejriwal said. He also asked the Bharatiya Janata Party to clarify its stand on the issue.

"Salman Khurshid (law minister) has told us that they have spoken to the BJP and they are also not in favour of voting. So, the BJP should also clarify their stand on the issue," Kejriwal said.

Noting that Hazare had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, asking for a resolution to be moved in Parliament containing his three demands -- inclusion of lower bureaucracy in Lokpal, a Citizen Charter at all government offices and a Lokayukta for all states -- Bhushan said, "If this is the response to his letter, it is very unfortunate."