Govt has cheated people on Lokpal issue: Kiran Bedi

Accusing the government of cheating people on the Lokpal issue, Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Sunday claimed that it was not willing to part with control over the Central Bureau of Investigation, as it did not want the "hidden files in the agency's almirahs" to become public.

Speaking at Jantar Mantar where Anna Hazare is on a one-day fast, she said discussions about a mechanism to deal with corruption have been on since the time of Jawaharlal Nehru whom she accused of having failed to provide such a system. She said what the country needs is an "anti-corruption system like the anti-crime system".

"The discussion over this has been on since Nehru's time. I wish Nehruji had given us this in 1962. He didn't. An administrative reforms committee was set up instead. But nothing happened from 1962 to 2011," she said.

She alleged that the government has failed to bring a strong Lokpal Bill and that a mass agitation will continue till the goal is achieved. "We will have to fight a long battle," she said.

On the CBI issue, she said the government does not want to give up control of the probe agency because its closets are full of files, which talks about the wrongdoings of those in powers.

"What all things are hidden in the almirahs of CBI? They don't want things to be made public. The Lokpal does not have investigative powers. The government has not given nothing substantial for Lokpal and, at the same time, wants to take away the powers of the CBI. We did not ask for this," Bedi said.

She alleged the government has "cheated" people and that the gathering at Jantar Mantar would pray that it gets a good sense.

Addressing the protesters, Team Anna member Manish Sisodia, who is also on a fast along with Hazare, accused the government of treating people like a football by bringing in a weak Lokpal Bill.

"Public is being made to go to the central vigilance commission for something, the local police for another and Lokpal for something else. If this

becomes law, public will become a football. They have come up with confusing proposals so that common man takes rounds of government offices for fighting corruption," he said.

He said it is always mentioned that law is being made in Parliament and not on streets. "We agree that Parliament makes law. But now we are saying that it is not Parliament or North Block or South Block, which is going to make laws. Laws will be made on the streets," he said.

"We believe now people will have to decide on even full stop and coma in the law. It will not be made in closed rooms," he said.

Launching an attack on parliamentarians, he referred to a rally of Rahul Gandhi in Uttar Pradesh during which two Union ministers attacked some people who protested against the Congress leader. "You are talking about which Parliament? This Parliament was not sad when this happened," he said.

He said the corruption in United Progressive Alliance's flagship programme Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act, which helped it return to power, was due to Group C and D employees.