Thaindian News

New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS) With Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati refusing to back the government and Anna Hazare Tuesday threatening to resume protests if his Jan Lokpal bill was axed, the government was in a fix ahead of Wednesday’s all-party meet on having a powerful ombudsman to battle corruption.

Congress leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party president Sonia Gandhi, attended a core group meeting of the party here to discuss a strategy over an issue that has pitted the government against Team Anna and a large number of political parties.

Two days after major opposition parties rallied behind Hazare at his Jantar Mantar rally here, Mayawati declared that her Bahujan Samaj Party (BJP) would in no way support a watered down version of the Team Anna Lokpal version.

“Our party is going to oppose the bill in its present form,” Mayawati said in Lucknow, referring to the Lokpal report suggested by the Parliamentary Standing Committed headed by Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

Mayawati, whose BSP has 21 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 18 in the Rajya Sabha, demanded that Dalits be given due representation in any Lokpal body.

She said she wanted the prime minister, all government employees and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) placed under the ambit of Lokpal — virtually echoing Team Anna’s demands.

“CBI must be brought under the jurisdiction of Lokpal to prevent misuse of the agency by the central government,” she said. “I am all for a strong, effective and meaningful Lokpal Bill that would serve the larger interest of the vast majority of the country.”

Simultaneously, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said it will propose amendments to the Lokpal report now with the government.

The BJP said it too wanted the prime minister and the lower bureacuracy to come under the Lokpal and a Citizens’ Charter for government departments.

“If (the government) don’t agree, we will try and bring amendments to the Lokpal bill after consultation with other political parties,” BJP’s S.S. Ahluwalia said.

Hazare reiterated his determination to fight on.

“We have to eradicate corruption from this country and (we) will agitate again at Ramlila Maidan from Dec 27. The Jan Lokpal bill has to be passed,” he told reporters here.

The 74-year-old went on a daylong fast Sunday and found backing from leaders of several parties, including the BJP, the Communists, the Janata Dal-United, Biju Janata Dal and Telugu Desam Party.

It was the first time so many political veterans rallied behind Hazare publicly.

Key members of Hazare’s team will meet here Wednesday and Thursday to chalk out a strategy ahead of the Dec 27-Jan 5 campaign for a strong bill to overcome cancerous corruption.

They will also discuss how to take the issue to the streets in election-bound states: Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Gujarat, Manipur, Himachal Pradesh and Goa.

Hazare has already urged people to vote against the Congress if it does not pass the Jan Lokpal bill prepared by his team. Team Anna has trashed the Parliamentary Standing Committee’s Lokpal report.