Team Anna members on Friday met CPI(M) MPs in Parliament House to discuss the Lokpal Bill and press for their views to be incorporated in the draft legislation.
After the meeting, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters that the discussion on Lokpal Bill is an on-going process but the main concern of the Left parties was that the Bill should be brought in this session of Parliament and “preferably adopted”.
“Team Anna members had come to meet us today. We had serious and fruitful discussion on the Lokpal Bill. CPI(M) has been demanding that a strong and effective Lokpal is required to eliminate the curse of corruption,” Mr. Yechury said.
He maintained that he would pass on the suggestions given by Team Anna to Left members in the Standing Committee dealing with the drafting of the Bill.
“This was neither our first nor our last meeting with Team Anna,” Mr. Yechury said.
Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan said the meeting was held to explain their position to CPI(M) on various aspects of the Bill.
“We are meeting all parties to explain our position. The Standing Committee has been saying that CBI, Prime Minister, judiciary, lower bureaucracy and grievance redressal cell should be kept out of the Lokpal. This is not good... If you want a strong Lokpal then everybody from PM to peon should be included,” Mr. Bhushan said.
Insisting that all of the above should be within the purview of Lokpal, he further said the Lokpal should be independent of the government.
Another Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said they would wait for the Standing Committee to come out with its report before commenting on its proposals.
