December 14, 2011

Anna urges Mamata to pressurise Govt on Lokpal Bill

Veteran social activist Anna Hazare urged the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seeking her support on the issue of Lokpal Bill to put pressure on the UPA government.

While Team Anna has been battling with the government over the inclusion of several demands in the proposed Lokpal Bill, Anna has been seeking support from the Opposition as well as Congress' allies.

Anna addressed Mamata as “behen” or sister put pressure on the government as she did on FDI in retail that forced the government to suspend the reforms in retail. He said that she should fight for people with the government by demanding a strong Lokpal Bill that would combat the corruption in the country.

The anti-graft crusader slammed the government on Wednesday for bringing a separate Citizens' Charter bill saying the Prime Minister had assured him to include it in Lokpal Bill when he was on indefinite fast at Ramlila Maidan in August.

He said that Citizens' Charter should not be brought as a separate law, but it should be in the Ombudsman legislation. He alleged that by doing this, the government is trying to break the Bill into pieces.

Anna's aide, Arvind Kejriwal, also spoke strongly against the government rejecting the Citizen's Charter Bill, which was approved by the government last night. He tweeted, "Why is Mamataji silent on this issue? She should speak up the way she spoke on FDI issue".

The Lokpal Bill will be discussed tonight at a meeting of all political parties called by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Anna said that he would go on another fast if a strong Lokpal Bill is not passed in the ongoing session of the Parliament, which ends on December 21.

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