No consensus on Lokpal Bill at all-party meet

CNN-IBN

New Delhi, 24 August 2011: The all-party meeting on the Lokpal Bill on Wednesday failed to arrive at a consensus with leaders cutting across party lines making it clear that Parliament was supreme. All the parties at the meeting made it clear that some of the provisions of the Jan Lokpal Bill put forward by Anna Hazare and his associates were unacceptable as they violated the supremacy of Parliament.

 

Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi said that there was no unanimity among the parties on the Lokpal Bill. Joshi said that the all-party meeting has also appealed jointly to Anna Hazare to break his fast.

 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was against Team Anna’s demand for having lokayuktas in every state. The leaders were also unanimous that Team Anna’s strident demand of a deadline for the tabling and passing by Parliament of the Jan Lokpal Bill was unacceptable.

The meeting also asked for changes in the Government’s Lokpal Bill that has already been tabled in Parliament and sent to the standing committee.

 

The Government, too, has not agreed to Anna Hazare’s demand of passing Jan Lokpal Bill in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

 

The all-party meeting was called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his 7 Race Course Road residence in New Delhi to discuss the new Lokpal Bill draft that the Government and Team Anna had finalised.

 

Meanwhile, Union Minister V Narayanasamy said that the Department of Personnel has forwarded Jan Lokpal Bill to Parliament Standing Committee for consideration.

 

"Government appeals to Hazare to end his fast and help bring a strong, effective Lokpal Bill. It is for the Standing Committee to consider the Jan Lokpal Bill. The government has an open mind," Narayanasamy said in the Rajya Sabha.