New Delhi:
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's all-party meet has failed to evolve a consensus on the Lokpal Bill.
Leaders of parties in Rajya Sabha including BJP's Arun Jaitley, BSP's S C Mishra, RJD's Ram Kripal Yadav, SP's Ram Gopal Yadav, NCP'S Tariq Anwar and CPI's A B Bardhan met at the Prime Minister's residence to discuss the controversial bill, to which 97 amendments have been moved by Opposition members in the Upper House. Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram, A K Antony and Salman Khurshid were among those present at the meeting.
In his opening remarks at the meeting, the Prime Minister said that he wants to build a consensus on the Bill. The remarks come against the backdrop of the Winter Session washout over the Lokpal Bill. So, the all-party meeting was an attempt by the government for image correction.
During the meeting, a large number of Opposition and key allies like the Trinamool Congress and the DMK were unified on the issue of Lokayuktas in states. But all of them want states should be free to decide on the Lokayukta's constitution and if the Centre wants to talk about the issue, it should largely be an enabling legislation. Ramvilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party rejected the Lokpal Bill in its entirety.
After the meeting today, the BJP slammed the government for not being sincere on the Lokpal Bill.
"The UPA partners were not in favour of the government draft. I think they should present an amended bill in Parliament; they have got the message loud and clear," BJP leader Arun Jaitley told NDTV.
The Left and some other parties want the CBI to be monitored by the Lokpal, especially in corruption investigations. There have also been demands for an independent investigation agency under the Lokpal to look at corruption cases.
"We suggested that foreign funded NGOs and corporates which have dealing with the government, and any such allegations of corruption in the access of these contracts should also come under the purview of the Lokpal. Many of us have given our suggestions in this regard but the general consensus that is appearing in the intervening period of three weeks, use this time to arrive at an understanding over these issues," CPM leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters after the meeting.
The bill cannot come up in the Rajya Sabha this week as we have to pass the Budget, he added.
"Whether it's CBI or any other investigation agency, the power to investigate and supervise the whole process should be granted to the Lokpal. If the CBI is investigating a corruption case, then that investigation should come under the Lokpal. There was no consensus on this issue but this is what our stand is," Mr Yechury said.
However, the Samajwadi Party, which has been supporting the UPA in Parliament, is not interested in Lokpal in its present form. The SP said it is a "flawed bill" and that it should be sent to a select committee of Parliament for review.
Social activist Anna Hazare and his team, meanwhile, have renewed their pressure on the government.
Mr Hazare told reporters in Delhi today," We've learnt that the PM's meeting has failed to evolve consensus. On March 25, we'll protest at Jantar Mantar. We will tell the people that the government is not serious about the Lokpal Bill, about fighting corruption. The bill in its present form will not be an effective tool against corruption."
The crisis is that in this meeting also, the government did not give any assurances. So, as of now, all the stated positions which were there in Parliament in the December Winter Session, have actually moved to the Budget Session. Now the government will come back again for discussion with what its views are.
The government's version of the Lokpal Bill has already seen over 90 amendments by different parties during the discussion in the Winter Session of Parliament. So, this time when the government comes on the floor of the House once again, it will be very difficult for the government to get it passed in the Rajya Sabha. Sources tell NDTV that the CBI issue - bringing the investigation agency under the purview of the Lokpal - is non-negotiable with the government. It is not in favour of any dilution of the CBI's powers or its supervision by any agency.
However, after demands by its key allies the DMK and the Trinamool on the Lokayukta issue, the government can tweak the bill so that it creates an enabling model-law, allowing states to decide on their own norms for the Lokayukta.
After today's all-party meeting, it seems that the debate on Lokpal Bill might not resume in a hurry. And the bill's passage in the Rajya Sabha seems to be a very difficult, unless the Opposition and the government find a meeting ground.