Breaking Anna’s fast more urgent than good bill: Khurshid
August 24th, 2011 - 3:39 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS) The urgency to get Anna Hazare to break his nine-day fast was greater than passing a “good Lokpal bill”, Law Minister Salman Khurshid said Wednesday.
“A good bill can come 10-15 days later but a fast cannot be broken 20 days later. So if we look at the priorities of urgency, then the urgency that the fast must come to an end is far greater, more serious than the urgency to pass the bill,” Khurshid told reporters.
A hectic round of talks between the government and Team Anna have been under way - the latest being between Khurshid and Hazare associates Wednesday morning - ahead of an all-party meeting scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
“The all-party meeting is our sincere attempt to find a common position in parliament. If there is no common position in parliament, to at least try and work towards it,” Khurshid said.
“We are not yet in any position to say that we have agreed to this or that.. it is an urgency and we want to address it. But the urgency to break the fast is not any less than the urgency to bring a good bill,” he added.
Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh added that 74-year-old Hazare’s health was an issue of “major concern”.
“People from Ralegan Siddhi (Hazare’s village in Maharashtra) came to meet me…the pressure has been building up. Anna Hazare’s health is a major concern…but now we are on the right track,” Deshmukh said.
- No further talks with government on Lokpal: Anna Hazare - Jul 18, 2012
- No further talks with government on Lokpal: Hazare (Lead) - Jul 18, 2012
- Talks stuck on three issues, Hazare to continue fast - Aug 24, 2011
- Hazare's village observes day-long shut down - Dec 11, 2011
- Ralegan-Siddhi villagers back Hazare - Jul 29, 2012
- Government not serious about fighting graft, says Hazare - Dec 07, 2011
- Hazare discharged from hospital, leaves for village - Aug 31, 2011
- Anna set for fast, politicians hit back (Evening Lead) - Dec 26, 2011
- Hazare urges people to boycott elections - Oct 12, 2011
- 'Centre in favour of enacting model Lokayukta law' (Lead) - Apr 26, 2012
- All party meeting urges Hazare to end fast (Lead) - Aug 24, 2011
- Anna issues ultimatum to Congress, battlelines drawn - Oct 05, 2011
- Hazare advised week's rest - Dec 29, 2011
- Anna fast: All-party meet begins at PM's residence - Aug 24, 2011
- Anna flays parliament panel on Lokpal - Nov 30, 2011
Tags: anna hazare, Health Science, law minister, lokpal bill, maharashtra, New Delhi, parliament, priorities, salman, science and technology, siddhi, technology minister, urgency, vilasrao deshmukh, wednesday afternoon, wednesday morning