New Delhi: Mamata Banerjee has spurned attempts by Team Anna to co-opt her as an ally in its battle with the government over a strong anti-corruption or Lokpal Bill. "Mamata doesn't need lessons from Anna Hazare," said her party's Sultan Ahmed. "Everyone knows she is a crusader."
This morning, 74-year-old Anna who has devoted his year to championing the Lokpal Bill, urged the West Bengal Chief Minister, who he referred to as behen or sister "to put a good word in" with the government. The Gandhian said that just as Ms Banerjee had forced the government to suspend its reforms in retail, she should prove her commitment to the people by demanding a more effective legislation to combat graft. Anna's closest aide, Arvind Kejriwal, also tweeted this morning, "Why is Mamataji silent on this issue? She should speak up the way she spoke on FDI issue."
The Lokpal Bill will birth a new ombudsman agency with 11 members to investigate charges of corruption among government servants. The bill will be discussed tonight at a meeting of all political parties, called by the Prime Minister. Anna has said that if a potent bill is not passed by Parliament in this session which ends on December 21, he will begin a lengthy hunger strike.
Today, he rejected the Citizen's Charter Bill, which was cleared by the government last night as a complement to the Lokpal bill. The Citizen's Charter asks for a notice to be displayed in all government departments, listing the services that office is meant to provide to the public, along with a timeline. In August, Parliament promised Anna that including the Citizen's Charter in the Lokpal Bill would be allowed, as long as it does not violate constitutional principles. Anna says that if the Citizen's Charter is not covered by the Lokpal, it will not be effective. By clearing a separate bill, he said, the government has betrayed both Parliament and him. "It is wrong because when I was fasting at Ramlila Ground, the Prime Minister had written a letter asking me to end the fast assuring that the three crucial points -- inclusion of Citizens' Charter, lower bureaucracy and state Lokayuktas -- will be part of the Bill and Parliament agreed to it," he said.
This morning, 74-year-old Anna who has devoted his year to championing the Lokpal Bill, urged the West Bengal Chief Minister, who he referred to as behen or sister "to put a good word in" with the government. The Gandhian said that just as Ms Banerjee had forced the government to suspend its reforms in retail, she should prove her commitment to the people by demanding a more effective legislation to combat graft. Anna's closest aide, Arvind Kejriwal, also tweeted this morning, "Why is Mamataji silent on this issue? She should speak up the way she spoke on FDI issue."
The Lokpal Bill will birth a new ombudsman agency with 11 members to investigate charges of corruption among government servants. The bill will be discussed tonight at a meeting of all political parties, called by the Prime Minister. Anna has said that if a potent bill is not passed by Parliament in this session which ends on December 21, he will begin a lengthy hunger strike.
Today, he rejected the Citizen's Charter Bill, which was cleared by the government last night as a complement to the Lokpal bill. The Citizen's Charter asks for a notice to be displayed in all government departments, listing the services that office is meant to provide to the public, along with a timeline. In August, Parliament promised Anna that including the Citizen's Charter in the Lokpal Bill would be allowed, as long as it does not violate constitutional principles. Anna says that if the Citizen's Charter is not covered by the Lokpal, it will not be effective. By clearing a separate bill, he said, the government has betrayed both Parliament and him. "It is wrong because when I was fasting at Ramlila Ground, the Prime Minister had written a letter asking me to end the fast assuring that the three crucial points -- inclusion of Citizens' Charter, lower bureaucracy and state Lokayuktas -- will be part of the Bill and Parliament agreed to it," he said.
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