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Lokpal Bill WILL BE passed by Parliament: Hazare
As consensus eluded political parties on the issue of Lokpal, activist Anna Hazare on Thursday said that he has confidence in the Parliament and it will pass the bill.
If there was not enough time for deliberations on the legislation, opined Hazare, the winter session of Parliament should be extended for passing the Lokpal Bill.
"(There will be a consensus) in Parliament if not at the all-party meeting. All MPs are there, it will be passed there. Yesterday, people put forward right points, some pointed out the deficiencies," he said, speaking about the lack of consensus on the issue at the all-party meet on Wednesday.
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'We should have faith in them'
"Everybody in the government is giving us assurances that we will get a Lokpal Bill. So we should have faith in them. But if they don't bring it, then we will have to agitate," he said, ahead of the second day of Team Anna's core committee meeting.
Hazare also repeated his demand for extending the winter session of Parliament for passing the Lokpal Bill.
"It is important for the country. Earlier, you have had occasions when the session was extended," he said, adding that the venue of his proposed protest could be shifted to Mumbai, depending on the weather conditions in Delhi.
"If the climate is good, then it will be in Delhi," he added.
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'The key issue is the autonomy of CBI'
Replying to questions on the all-party meeting, Team Anna member Kiran Bedi said almost all the parties were unanimous on the demand for autonomy for the Central Bureau of Investigation.
"The key issue is the autonomy of CBI. You have the SP, BSP, Left, BJP asking for autonomy. I think the Congress view now needs to be known," she told reporters.
When pointed out that some leaders have cautioned the government against rushing through the Bill, Bedi said, "Who are these parties? Not the BJP surely as Sushma Swaraj tweeted that they want it in this session. Are they managed voices, isolated voices?"
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'There was consensus on many issues'
"The parties are asking for autonomy and admitting that the CBI has been abused; this is why we need Lokpal. CBI is a graveyard of corruption; it is waiting to be exhumed. That is why there is a desperate effort to keep it protected as long as possible," she said.
Hazare's aide Arvind Kejriwal said it was wrong to say that there was no consensus at the all-party meeting.
"There was consensus on many things. There could be some points (on which the parties differed)," he said.
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