New Delhi, Dec 15 (IANS): Social activist Anna Hazare Thursday said the winter session of parliament should be extended if the time to pass the Lokpal bill is limited.

"If there is a need, the session should be extended as the Lokpal bill is important for the country. We have had occasions when the session was extended," Hazare told reporters before attending the second day of a core committee meeting with his key members in the capital.

The winter session of parliament ends Dec 22.

"Everybody in the government is giving us assurances that we will get a Lokpal bill. I have faith in parliament. I'm hopeful that the Lokpal bill will be passed in this winter session," Anna said.

The core committee of Team Anna is meeting to plan the future course of action in their fight for a strong Lokpal.

"If it is not passed in this session, we shall protest again. It may be either in Delhi or Mumbai depending on the weather," Hazare told reporters.

Meanwhile, slamming the government for trying to keep the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) out of the Lokpal, Kiran Bedi said the investigation agency is a graveyard of corruption and the ruling party is protecting it.

"CBI is a graveyard of corruption. Therefore, there is a desperate effort to keep it protected as long as possible," Bedi told reporters.