Dump this Lokpal bill, says Team Anna
December 27th, 2011 - 5:59 pm ICT by IANS
Mumbai, Dec 27 (IANS) Team Anna Tuesday urged parliament to dump the government Lokpal bill, saying it will only fuel more corruption instead of combating it.
“We are appealing to parliament with folded hands to dump this useless Lokpal and accept our Jan Lokpal bill,” leading activist Arvind Kejriwal told a rally after Anna Hazare began a three-day hunger strike.
“The Lokpal which the government has brought is meant to protect corrupt people like A. Raja and Suresh Kalmadi, not to fight corruption,” Kejriwal thundered at the venue.
He alleged that the government was not willing to give autonomy to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) because it wanted to use the agency to keep a tab on political rivals.
He said the Lokpal bill now with parliament had excluded the lower bureaucracy, in violation of the pledge made by parliament in August when Hazare went on a 12-day hunger strike in Delhi.
“We want a strong and effective Lokpal. But the bill the government has introduced does not serve the purpose.
“It can only protect the corrupt… The government’s sincerity is questionable.
“We have not gathered here to oppose parliament but to demand a genuinely effective Lokpal. It is the government which has betrayed parliament.”
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- As Anna fasts, parliament divided over Lokpal (Night Lead) - Dec 27, 2011
- Quotable quotes on Lokpal - Dec 11, 2011
- Anna set for fast, politicians hit back (Evening Lead) - Dec 26, 2011
- Lokpal bill with PM in but CBI out approved, Hazare furious (Roundup) - Dec 21, 2011
- Ailing Anna ends fast, vows to fight on (Intro Roundup) - Dec 28, 2011
- Team Anna unhappy over final Lokpal bill draft - Nov 29, 2011
- Anna set for fast, political class dubs him 'impatient' (Roundup) - Dec 26, 2011
- Anna set for fast, political class dubs him 'impatient' (Intro Roundup) - Dec 26, 2011
- Lokpal Bill a threat to democracy: Team Anna - Dec 28, 2011
- Team Anna reject Lokpal panel's recommendations - Dec 07, 2011
- On Day 11, parliament set to discuss Jan Lokpal bill - Aug 26, 2011
- Kejriwal hopes UPA will honour Sonia's commitment on Lokpal - Nov 09, 2011
- Team Anna writes to PM ahead of Mumbai fast (Intro Roundup) - Dec 25, 2011
- Team Anna writes to PM ahead of Mumbai fast (Roundup) - Dec 25, 2011
Tags: activist, anna hazare, arvind kejriwal, autonomy, bureaucracy, cbi, central bureau of investigation, corruption, folded hands, hunger strike, mumbai, parliament, pledge, political rivals, raja, rally, sincerity, venue