New Delhi, April 10, (PTI) : Gandhian Anna Hazare today brushed aside Baba Ramdev's criticism on inclusion of father-son duo Shanti and Prashant Bhushan in Lokpal Bill drafting committee and virtually ruled out any change in the nominees, saying the focus is on having an effective anti-graft measure. 

 
In a bid to assuage Baba Ramdev, he said he will talk to the yoga guru as at this juncture, it is important to take the country together to fight corruption.

"I will request him (Ramdev) not to think like that. We will all take the country ahead together. There is love for the country inside him. I will tell him not to think of a person or individual and only keep the country in mind," the 73-year-old activist said here when asked why former IPS officer Kiran Bedi was not included as a committee member.

Hazare said, "I will request him, I will touch his feet telling him that we should do this for the country. To form the draft, it is important to have understanding of the law and experts are needed for it.The committee is just for two months".

Key activist Arvind Kejriwal, who has been nominated as a member of the committee, and Bedi said the issue was not about individuals but that of a strong legislation being drafted by it.

Kejriwal, a former IRS officer-turned activist, said last night he had talked to Ramdev and the misunderstanding has been cleared.

Bedi, who has been urging the media to give as much coverage to Hazare's campaign as they did during the Cricket World Cup, said she did not want to be part of the panel at all and wanted the experts to do their job.

"This is an A-plus team. Only those people can be part of this committee who know the government's functioning and can help in making a law that will look into all aspects of fighting large-scale corruption", Bedi said.

Hazare said that even he had initially refused to be part of the drafting panel as it was important to have an effective bill. "Who should be part of it and who should stay out are not important matters. This will be of importance at a later stage", he explained.

Noted lawyer Shanti Bhushan said that his son Prashant had himself raised the issue of the two being part of the same committee but maintained it was Hazare who felt that they as experts needed to be part of it.

Ramdev, who had joined the agitation, had objected to the inclusion of the Bhushans in the committee, alleging it showed nepotism. "Why is there nepotism in the committee? Why both father and son are accommodated in the committee?" Ramdev had asked.

Hazare disagreed with Baba Ramdev, saying, "You can level any allegation against me. I am a person who follows Gandhian principles. Nothing wrong in having two members of the same family in the panel. We need experience. We need expertise".

The veteran activist broke 98-hour-long fast yesterday morning after the government issued a notification for drafting an effective Lokpal Bill.

Replying to questions, Hazare said the civil society activists were planning their next strategy to ensure a tough anti-graft bill and that much more needed to be done to fight corruption in the country.

"We are planning our next strategy. Now that a small battle on the Lokpal Bill has been won, we will have to work more for laws to tackle corruption in various levels of our society", Hazare, whose fast-unto-death agitation received nationwide support, said.

Government had yesterday agreed to constitute a 10-member Joint Committee, including civil society members to draft a stronger Lokpal Bill.

The veteran activist admitted that he could not fathom that the movement led by him would generate such a massive nationwide support.

"I had no idea this agitation would turn out to be as big as it did... and the nationwide support we got. I wanted to do it in Maharashtra but Kiran Bedi, Swami Agnivesh and

Arvind Kejriwal insisted that I hold the fast-unto-death in New Delhi", said Hazare.
He said he was happy with the government's decision over the Joint Committee while noting the Lokpal Bill should be introduced in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Asked if a special session of Parliament should be convened for quick passage of the anti-corruption bill, Hazare said there was no need for it as that would amount to additional expenditure for the government.
Kejriwal said he saw no reason behind the discussion on who all from the civil society should be part of the joint committee.

"I don't see any reason behind this discussion. Those who were part of the team that prepared the first draft of the Jan Lok Pal Bill -- Justice Santosh Hegde, Shanti and Prashant Bhushan and I -- are part of this committee", Kejriwal said.
He said those who understood the real importance of the development (formation of joint committee) were not insisting to be part of it as they know that it was important to have experts on board.

Kejriwal said the anti-graft agitation triggered by Hazare was wound up from Jantar Mantar but on registering oneself with a certain helpline number, all details and updates of the joint committee's working will be provided from time to time. 
 

 Electoral Reforms may be Hazare's Next Plank

(IANS) After leading a triumphant crusade on the anti-graft bill, social reformer Anna Hazare is likely to launch a movement against the dominance of money power in elections and criminalisation of politics, sources in his movement said. 

"Money power, muscle power and mafia influence in elections are of concern among the general public. I believe Anna and colleagues are giving a serious thought to the issue," a key functionary of the India Against Corruption (IAC) - the movement which spearheaded the campaign for a stringent Lokpal bill - told IANS.

He said that electoral reforms have been on the national agenda for several decades, but without much action. "Now that the Election Commission (EC) is also making efforts to cleanse the system, it will be a topical issue," he said.

On Friday, even Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi admitted at a conference here that there was a perception that candidates were spending huge amounts above the permitted levels. "When someone spends Rs.10 crore to become an MP, he will expect to make Rs.20 crore while in office," Quraishi said.

Quraishi said the fast of Anna Hazare was "unfortunate" and was "avoidable if there were sufficient safety valves in the system to prevent it from bursting like at Jantar Mantar (where Hazare held the fast)".

On the organisational front, the Hazare supporters are enthusiastic. "We are overwhelmed. We have got more than expected - in the agreement from the government and through support from the public across the country," Swami Agnivesh, social activist and one of the three civil society representatives who spoke to the government on the Lokpal Bill, told IANS.

Despite the big triumph, the movement had its share of internal frictions, though the leaders dicount them as "natural in any organisation".

Agnivesh said reports of divisions in the movement "were highly exaggerated". "When a
movement expands and catches the imagination of the public, all kinds of people come in.

That does not mean they are hijacking the movement," he said.

That was evident at Jantar Mantar too Saturday. As Agnivesh was offering water to volunteers to break their fast, two young men held a banner bearing slogans against him. It read : "I love Indian Army. Why is Agnivesh and Prashant Bhushan filing PIL (public interest litigation) against Indian Army?".

According to sources, there was a tussule between Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders for a berth in the joint draft committee on the Lokpal Bill. "There was a strong view that Kiran Bedi or some other leaders should have been selected," the sources said.

The five civil society members on the panel are Anna Hazare, former Supreme Court judge N. Santosh Hegde, advocates Shanti and Prashant Bhushan and activist Arvind Kejriwal.

Political analysts felt there was an effort by some organised socio-political groups like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the followers of emerging religious figures like Sri Sri  Ravi Shankar and Baba Ramdev to dominate the show at times - by raising slogans, displaying placards and organising 'havans'.

"But Hazare and aides appeared to have managed to keep a balance and avoid any hijack by former BJP leader Uma Bharti, former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala or the like. And besides hosting Hindu leaders, Hazare supporters made it a point to share the honours on the dais with Muslim and Sikh leaders and even the archbishop of New Delhi," analyst Yogesh Vajpeyi told IANS.

Quoting Hazare, Agnivesh said the "movement has a long way to go". "The expectations of people from us are big."

Hazare ended his 'fast unto death' Saturday morning after the government issued a notification on the formation of the panel, including five civil society members, to draft the anti-graft bill that will be introduced in the monsoon session of parliament.