Mumbai:
Anna Hazare arrived late on Monday evening in Mumbai for his three-day hunger strike against a bill that Parliament will begin debating at 11 am today. His aides say he is not well but has rejected their request to cancel his fast. Anna, who is 74, will be flanked by his activists who believe the government has betrayed the country by introducing a Lokpal Bill that cannot succeed in achieving its goal - combating systematic corruption. So Tuesday will, for India, be a tale of two cities. In Delhi, the opposition will challenge large sections of the bill. In Mumbai, the police expects more than 50,000 people to congregate at the MMRDA Grounds, where Anna will play host. (Read: Mumbai Police gears up for Anna's fast) His doctors have advised him against extending his fast. So on December 30, he will launch a civil disobedience "jail bharo" campaign. Online, more than 1.3 lakh Indians have offered to participate. (Read: Ahead of fast, Anna heads to Mumbai; over 1.3 lakh volunteers sign up for 'jail bharo') In the Lok Sabha, the Lokpal Debate has been allotted eight hours. The BJP will ask for as many as 37 amendments to the bill, and the CPM has 11 in store.
Politicians across parties have told Anna that while the nation owes a debt of gratitude to him for shouldering a massive movement against corruption, he must now leave it up to the Parliament to develop a strong law. "Those who use the rules of the Constitution of sitting on fasts or holding candlelight protest marches should also know that they cannot violate the law made by the Constitution, which says that all bills and laws will be passed only in the parliament...they should know how to respect other rights as well," said the Left's Sitaram Yechury.
The Lokpal Act will create a national ombudsman of nine members, empowered to tackle corruption among government servants. Team Anna believes the ombudsman is being birthed without any real powers. Many of their arguments are echoed by political parties like the BJP and the Left. The government, however, continues to praise its bill. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal referred to it as "a fine piece of legislation". Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said, "We know their (Team Anna) viewpoints. But it is for the Parliament to decide what would be the final say of the legislation. We have brought the legislation for the consideration of the house."
The Government is briefing and coaching speakers like Meenakshi Natarajan, Manish Tewari and Shashi Tharoor who will defend the bill in the Parliament.
The Congress and the BJP have both issued a whip making it mandatory for their MPs to be in Parliament. The Lok Sabha will witness a day-long combined discussion on the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011 and the Constitution (Amendment) Bill to give the ombudsman a constitutional status.
The Public Interest Disclosure and Protection to Persons Making the Disclosures Bill, 2010 (popularly known as The Whistle-blowers' Bill) will also be discussed.
Leading the BJP's list of objections is the 50% quota that the bill promises for minorities and Schedule Castes and Tribes. The BJP says this quota is unconstitutional. The party also wants the government to amend the bill to liberate the CBI - the main investigating agency - from supervision by the government. Both Team Anna and the BJP believe that as long as the government decides on the budget and postings of the CBI and its officers, the agency will be vulnerable to pressure. The Left says that the Lokpal must be given its own investigating agency to handle the complaints filed by the public with the ombudsman. As an alternate, it says the investigating wing of the CBI should be made to report to the Lokpal.
Several parties have also objected to the language in the bill that provides for the creation of Lokayuktas or anti-corruption agencies in individual states. The BJP and others say that in this provision, the bill stomps all over the turf of states and violates the federal structure of the country.
Parties like Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD have objected to the Lokpal's jurisdiction over the Prime Minister. The bill allows the ombudsman to investigate the Prime Minister on charges of corruption, though with a series of caveats.
At the MMRDA Grounds, bomb detection and disposal squads and Quick Response Teams are being put in place. (Read: Anna's fast: 2000 cops, bomb disposal squads) Anna will arrive escorted by Royal Enfield bikers shortly before 11 am after a stop at Juhu where he will meditate before a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. (Read)
Politicians across parties have told Anna that while the nation owes a debt of gratitude to him for shouldering a massive movement against corruption, he must now leave it up to the Parliament to develop a strong law. "Those who use the rules of the Constitution of sitting on fasts or holding candlelight protest marches should also know that they cannot violate the law made by the Constitution, which says that all bills and laws will be passed only in the parliament...they should know how to respect other rights as well," said the Left's Sitaram Yechury.
The Lokpal Act will create a national ombudsman of nine members, empowered to tackle corruption among government servants. Team Anna believes the ombudsman is being birthed without any real powers. Many of their arguments are echoed by political parties like the BJP and the Left. The government, however, continues to praise its bill. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal referred to it as "a fine piece of legislation". Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said, "We know their (Team Anna) viewpoints. But it is for the Parliament to decide what would be the final say of the legislation. We have brought the legislation for the consideration of the house."
The Government is briefing and coaching speakers like Meenakshi Natarajan, Manish Tewari and Shashi Tharoor who will defend the bill in the Parliament.
The Congress and the BJP have both issued a whip making it mandatory for their MPs to be in Parliament. The Lok Sabha will witness a day-long combined discussion on the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011 and the Constitution (Amendment) Bill to give the ombudsman a constitutional status.
The Public Interest Disclosure and Protection to Persons Making the Disclosures Bill, 2010 (popularly known as The Whistle-blowers' Bill) will also be discussed.
Leading the BJP's list of objections is the 50% quota that the bill promises for minorities and Schedule Castes and Tribes. The BJP says this quota is unconstitutional. The party also wants the government to amend the bill to liberate the CBI - the main investigating agency - from supervision by the government. Both Team Anna and the BJP believe that as long as the government decides on the budget and postings of the CBI and its officers, the agency will be vulnerable to pressure. The Left says that the Lokpal must be given its own investigating agency to handle the complaints filed by the public with the ombudsman. As an alternate, it says the investigating wing of the CBI should be made to report to the Lokpal.
Several parties have also objected to the language in the bill that provides for the creation of Lokayuktas or anti-corruption agencies in individual states. The BJP and others say that in this provision, the bill stomps all over the turf of states and violates the federal structure of the country.
Parties like Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD have objected to the Lokpal's jurisdiction over the Prime Minister. The bill allows the ombudsman to investigate the Prime Minister on charges of corruption, though with a series of caveats.
At the MMRDA Grounds, bomb detection and disposal squads and Quick Response Teams are being put in place. (Read: Anna's fast: 2000 cops, bomb disposal squads) Anna will arrive escorted by Royal Enfield bikers shortly before 11 am after a stop at Juhu where he will meditate before a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. (Read)
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