New Delhi:
Team Anna is at the Ramlila Maidan along with 7000 supporters protesting against the government taking a Lokpal Bill to Parliament that does not include key elements that civil society members wanted included.
As part of a joint committee set up to draft an anti-corruption Bill, Team Anna drafted its own version - the Jan Lokpal Bill (or People's Lokpal Bill). The government too drafted a version and tabled that in Parliament much to Team Anna's indignation. And that is at the core of Anna's hunger strike this time.
The Jan Lokpal Bill - which seeks to bring the Prime Minister, judges and members of Parliament under the Lokpal's purview - has reached the Parliament. Independent Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandraskehar submitted a copy of Anna's draft Bill as a Private Member's Bill for tabling on August 8.
The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha can scrutinise the Bill and send it to President Pratibha Patil for consent. If she gives her nod, it can be taken up in Parliament after a month.
The Monsoon session ends on September 8, exactly a month from the day Mr Chandrashekhar submitted the Bill.
But Private Members' Bills are taken up for discussion in the Parliament in the second half of every Friday and since September 8 is a Thursday, Anna's bill will miss by a whisker. Hence, a discussion on it would only be possible in the Winter Session.
Not that any of this is likely make the Gandhian activist change plans. Mr Hazare has been demanding that the government bring the Jan Lokpal Bill, or make amendments to its Lokpal Bill to include elements from his team's Bill.
Today, he added to that, saying he would not budge, "...till the Jan Lokpal Bill is passed."