Slamming the claim that the civil society's proposed ombudsman will be a virtual parallel government, veteran Gandhian Anna Hazare Wednesday accused the government of trying to mislead the people.
Slamming the claim that the civil society's proposed ombudsman will be a virtual parallel government, veteran Gandhian Anna Hazare Wednesday accused the government of trying to mislead the people.
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"We have an Election Commission and the government can't interfere in its function. We have the Supreme Court and the Right to Information (RTI) Act which they cannot interfere in," Hazare said here.
"Just like them, the Lokpal should also be beyond government's interference," he said, adding the government's claims were an attempt to "mislead the people".
"The government is trying to create misunderstanding in the minds of the people before our fast, which will be the second struggle for freedom," he said.
Hazare has vowed to launch a hunger strike from Aug 16 at Jantar Mantar in the heart of the capital.
It was after his first fast, which lasted five days and triggered widespead support in the country, that the government set up a 10-member panel to frame an effective Lokpal bill.
After Tuesday's last meeting between the government and the civil society, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal had said that while the government wanted a strong Lokpal, "we cannot have a parallel government".
Hazare said it was also important to bring the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the Lokpal to uproot corruption in the country.
"The CBI has investigated so many corruption cases but how many ministers have gone to jail since independence? This is because the government has full control over the CBI. That is why despite corruption ministers don't go to jail," Hazare said.
"This is why the CBI should be brought under the Lokpal. This is what we are demanding," he added.
Saying the government had "turned back on its words", Hazare sought support for his proposed hunger strike.
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