Initiating their dialogue with political parties, the Anna Hazare team on Friday met senior BJP leader L.K. Advani to drum up support for their version of the Lokpal Bill.
Activists Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia briefed Mr. Advani about the deliberations in the joint draft committee meetings on the Bill, and their stand on Jan Lokpal Bill as well as the government’s draft.
“The meeting was very encouraging. Mr. Advani told us that the country needs an effective Lokpal. He heard us and requested us to make a detailed presentation before senior BJP leaders,” Ms. Bedi told PTI after the meeting.
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Mr. Sisodia said Mr. Hazare and others will take part in the deliberations with top BJP leaders which will be held before the all—party meeting convened by the government on the Lokpal Bill in the first week of July.
The Anna camp said they were not looking for assurances from the party at this point, as they wanted only to put across their views and brief Mr. Advani.
The meeting was part of the Mr. Hazare team’s efforts to reach out to political parties. They had earlier announced that they will be meeting all political parties.
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Raising their pitch on the Lokpal Bill issue, the Hazare team alleged that the government version of the ombudsman was not aimed at fighting corruption, but for targeting those who complain against the menace.
The Hazare team felt that the exclusion of a large chunk of the bureaucracy from the ambit of Lokpal and the provision to hear officials accused of corruption before filing of case and charge sheet were not proper.