Hazare offers olive branch to govt.

PTI

New Delhi, 15 June 2011: Amid a war of words between the government and civil society members over the Lokpal Bill, both sides will meet in New Delhi on Wednesday for its drafting even as Anna Hazare on Tuesday reminded the Ministers that differences could be resolved through dialogue and not through confrontation.

As the government and the Congress continued its attack on the civil society members, Mr. Hazare said he cannot force anyone not to level allegations like he was a mask of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or the Bharatiya Janata Party, but said the civil society has every right to raise issues.

The activists, who have shot off letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, will push for the inclusion of Prime Minister, judiciary and MPs under the ambit of the Lokpal, an issue on which government is at loggerheads with the civil society.

 

 

“Differences can be resolved through talks but not through confrontation. We feel that the government has accepted some of our demands and a lot more needs to be done. There is time till June 30,” he told reporters here. “If nothing happens, we will see then,” he added.

He said the civil society will put forth their views during Wednesday’s meeting and if their demands were not met, then they will start their agitation again.

The last meeting on June 6 was boycotted by the civil society side to protest police crackdown on Baba Ramdev’s hunger strike.

Asked about allegations that he was associated with the RSS and the BJP, Mr. Hazare said, “How can I put hand on their mouth (and prevent them from making allegations)? In my lifetime, I have never gone close to any political party. Every party is similar. Some are graduates in corruption while some others have got doctorates in corruption.”