Anna Hazare Toughens Stand, PM ‘Needs More Time’

Team Anna seeks electoral reform and farmer-friendly land acquisition laws Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said due legislative processes have to be followed to deliver a "strong and effective" Lokpal law, which required time. This is seen as a clear message to Team Anna that its demand for rushing through the anti-graft legislation and having it cleared by Parliament by August 30 is just not reasonable. Team Anna also expanded the ambit of its fight to include electoral reforms and a farmer-friendly land acquisition law. His team said it was ready to talk to the government but no such communication channels have been opened so far but insisted the August 30 deadline set by the Gandhian for passing of Jan Lokpal Bill should be met. "Well, clearly, I think there are difficulties…It is a logic of the legislative process. Certain stages have to be crossed," Singh said when asked to comment on the insistence of the Anna camp on its month-end deadline. He hoped that people would appreciate the dynamics of the legislative process "which, sometimes, takes time." The prime minister, who was speaking to reporters of a full Planning Commission meeting in Delhi, opened a window of further "discussion and dialogue" on the Lokpal Bill, affirming that there was "a lot of scope for give and take" on the proposed law. Underlining the need for broad national consensus on the Lokpal issue, Singh offered to enlist the cooperation of all thinking segments of public opinion to ensure that the end product is a strong and effective Lokpal. Meanwhile, as Hazare's fast entered the fifth day, his managers refuted suggestions that the deadline was impractical, saying that the government could get the Jan Lokpal Bill passed in days if it has the will. "It is the people's demand that next Tuesday when Parliament opens, the government should withdraw its version the Lokpal Bill and introduce our Bill," former law minister and Hazare's associate Shanti Bhushan said. Addressing the gathering at the Ramlila Maidan — when Anna Hazare is sitting on fast — he said the government should give an "assurance to Hazare that whenever the Jan Lokpal Bill comes, they will issue a whip and get the Jan Lokpal Bill passed." Indicating that while Hazare may be open to minor changes in the Jan Lokpal Bill, Bhushan said even these changes should be made with the Gandhian's consent. "If the government is willing to give the assurance that it will show respect for public sentiment, it is possible that Anna may agree (to the changes)," he said. Incidentally, the differences within the UPA on handling of Anna's protest came to the fore on Saturday when NCP general secretary DP Tripathi termed the Gandhian's arrest as an "error". "The government hasn't adopted the correct tactic. The whole way to handle civil society was wrong," he said adding that the Congress should have consulted its allies on the issue. "We were first to say that the issues raised by Anna Hazare were correct but his mode of protest was against democratic norms. When Parliament is debating the Lokpal Bill, there is no need for Anna to go on fast," he said. In yet another development, National Advisory Council (NAC) member Aruna Roy on Saturday came up with her own version of the Lokpal Bill, which seeks to include the prime minister in its ambit. This is likely to put more pressure on the government as the Opposition is also demanding that the prime minister should be subject to scrutiny by Lokpal. Incidentally, even as Roy favours changes in the current Lokpal draft pending before the standing committee, she has made clear her opposition to Team Anna's "rigid" stand on the issue. — Our Political Bureau/New Delhi More Fasts, Bets & Celebrities Anna's medical report released..vital stats normal: BP-130/80, sugar 92, pulse 78...Anna says has lost 3.5 kg in 4 days..but nothing to worry... "will not give up fast for Jan Lokpal" According to Delhi Medical Association, 400 people approached it for fever, diarrhoea etc..one supporter fainted..inadequate water facilities at the protest ground Faculty and students of IIM and IITs launched an online petition to gather support — more than 1,300 signatories so far Transgenders and sex workers in Kabadi Bazar area of Meerut fast to support the protest Ramdev takes out an anti-corruption rally in Haridwar News reports say there is a relatively lower turnout at the Ramlila Maidan on Saturday Bookies bet on Anna's fast duration: 25-50 crore Shahrukh Khan supports Anna's cause Anna expanding the ambit of his fast to include electoral reforms and land acquisition law in favour of farmers. "Because of the fault in the electoral system, 150 criminals have reached parliament." Team Anna says it is ready to talk to the government. But no communication channels open so far The demand is that Anna's bill should be introduced in parliament by next Tuesday, otherwise "fast till last breadth" Some NAC members say there should be a third version of Lokpal Bill — they don't agree with either Nearly 100 Indian expats, including students and professionals, gathered in front of the Indian Embassy in Den Haagin, the Netherlands, to support Anna