After an hour-long meeting between members of Team Anna and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders at the residence of BJP leader L.K. Advani here on Thursday, the two sides offered almost contradictory versions of what had transpired.
While Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan said that the BJP had “accepted” almost all of the Jan Lokpal Bill drafted by the Team, senior BJP leaders said the team members understood that some provisions of the Jan Lokpal Bill that run contrary to the spirit of the Constitution might be difficult to accept. The meeting was described as “constructive” and “positive” by BJP president Nitin Gadkari.
From remarks made by leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, it became clear that the insistence by Team Anna on simultaneous creation of Lokayuktas in States, with the Chief Ministers within their purview, was seen by the BJP to be in violation of the federal character of the Constitution.
It may be recalled that in Gujarat, just two days ago, the Law Minister had spoken strongly against law being made on the streets. Simultaneously, the Gujarat government has made quick moves to refer cases of alleged corruption — land deals favouring the Tatas and the Adanis among other things — to a judicial commission. Congress leader in Gujarat A. Modhwadia told The Hindu : “The setting up of a Commission to look into alleged cases of corruption is meant to prevent these being investigated by a State Lokayukta. The writing is on the wall and any day the Governor may force the appointment of a Lokayukta, a position that has been lying vacant in Mr. Modi's Gujarat for the last seven years. The Modi administration is afraid that what happened in Karnataka after the indictment of former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, could happen in Gujarat. It is a pre-emptive move.”
The BJP is opposed to Lokayuktas being created in States under the law that will establish the Lokpal at the Centre. The BJP wants States to be free to make their own laws in this regard; this is a major point of difference it has with the Jan Lokpal of Team Anna.
