New Delhi:
The first meeting of the Jan Lokpal drafting committee with other prominent citizens fighting corruption gave a chance to those not on the panel top share their views.
"Earlier we were walking on different roads, but now we are all on the same road," said Justice Verma, former Chief Justice of India.
Several sticking points were discussed in the meeting, one of them the judiciary's accountability.
It was broadly agreed that while the judiciary did need to be accountable, the Lokpal bill would not cover it.
There was consensus also on the recent controversies about panel members.
"If we start raising questions about the ministers on the panel and their integrity and how much wealth they own and how many are involved in corruption issues then we won't be able to have a dialogue with anyone. This is a conspiracy, a calculated move, a design to discredit our people and to divide us. We should stand united with more power and will formulate the bill and control the corrupt in the country," said Swami Agnivesh.
"We think it is an attempt to malign the issue - it has got nothing to do with drafting the bill, the law should take its own course on the CD case," observed Justice Verma.
There will be many more of such public consultations in the coming months but one of the significant things this meeting tried to do is try to move away from the controversies which have surrounded the Jan Lokpal Bill in the last few weeks and bring the focus firmly back on the fight against corruption.