Anna Hazare who is fasting unto death in the capital of India has called for Indian citizens for fill jails on April 12 as the government has refused to key demands in the formation of the Committee to write the LokPal Bill.With millions supporting Anna Hazare’s agitation against corruption amongt public officials in India,the ruling Congress Party is under tremendous pressure.However it is trying to wiggle out of this situation by making token concessions like giving half of the committee to civil society but refusing to give it “Official Notification” and not giving the chairmanship as well.Note the government had been forced to come to talks after initially dismissing the fast unto death for implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill.With 5 state elections on the way and presiding over a zillion scams,the Congress Party had little option.
Reacting to the government’s stand, Anna Hazare announced country-wide Jail Bharo agiation on April 12. An angry Hazare said that the people will teach the government a lesson by joinging the jail bharo agitation against the government. Meanwhile, Anna Hazare, whose fast entered the fourth day on Friday, has said that he will not become the chairman of the proposed draft committee for the Lokpal Bill. Addressing the thousands at the protest site, Anna Hazare said that he would only assist the committee in advisory capacity. The fasting leaders announced that Anna Hazare will write a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh forwarding the names of Santosh Hegde and Justice GS Verma to lead the proposed draft committee. The government has already rejected these names.
Note this will make the committee quite helpless as the government will not be bound to take up the recommendations of the committee.Also the leading person of the Lokpal Committee will continue to be a government minister Pranab Mukherjee in this case.The proposed names of GS Verma and Santosh Hegde both eminent persons of impeccable integrity has not been accepted.This seems strange on the part of the government even as the UPA chief and unarguably the most powerful person in the government Sonia Gandhi has called on the septuagenarian to call off his fast which entered the 4th day today.With more and more citizens in India supporting this anti-corruption cause,it seems only a matter of time before the government capitulates on these demands as well.Politicians of other parties are having a field time with a leader of the “Fodder Scam” Party which has been vanquished from its regional powerbase calling