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Show some courage to withdraw weak Lokpal: Hazare to PM

In a bid to project a non-partisan face, Anna Hazare and his team on Sunday shot off a series of letters to leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi and Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Gadkari, trying to put them on the mat on the Lokpal issue ahead of Assembly polls in five states.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav were the other recipients of letters signed by Hazare and his team members Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi.

While in the letter to Singh, signed only by Hazare, the prime minister is asked to show some courage to withdraw the "weak" Lokpal Bill and bring a stronger one, the one to Gandhi asked the Congress leader whether his party will dare bring a law on the lines of "strong" Lokayukta law in Uttarakhand.

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'Why BJP changed tracks on bringing Lokayuktas through Lokpal?'

Gadkari was questioned as to why his party did not insist on the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar in which it is a partner bringing a strong Lokayukta law like the one passed by the BJP government in Uttarakhand. He was also asked why the BJP changed tracks on bringing Lokayuktas through Lokpal Bill.

Team Anna also found fault with Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati for not opposing the bill in the Standing Committee and staging a walkout in Lok Sabha which, they alleged, helped the United Progressive Alliance government pass it in the Lower House.Yadav, on the other hand, "strongly" opposed the bill in the Standing Committee but walked out in Lok Sabha, the Team Anna letter to him said while asking him to clear whether he would go with the Congress or the BJP after the UP elections.

'Dr Singh's govt didn't listen to voices of people on Lokpal'

Warning the prime minister that the fight for a strong anti-corruption ombudsman will not end till Jan Lokpal Bill is not passed, Hazare said in his letter, "You are 80-year-old now. The country has given you everything. Now people are asking something in return. Show some courage. You have put your government on stake for nuclear bill, which was wrong. Show some courage to bring Lokpal to fight corruption. We don't know whether the Congress will give you another chance as prime minister but if you do this, the country will always remember you," he said.

Arguing for the independence of the Central Bureau of Investigation, Hazare asked Dr Singh why he was afraid of loosening the government grip over theagency."Does the CBI have some files which the government fears? Or is it that they want to misuse CBI to save corrupt ministers? Or is it you want to misuse CBI to ensure that the government does not fall by ensuring support of Yadav and Mayawati," he asked.

Hazare alleged that Dr Singh's government did not listen to voices of people on Lokpal but was quick to address the concerns raised by Gandhi.

'You don't want to give Lokpal any freedom or strength'

In the letter to Gandhi, Team Anna said the government did not honour the commitment of Parliament but when he demanded Constitutional status for the ombudsman it readily listened.

"It looks like that the government listens to you only. The moment you asked, they gave it. But you don't want to giveLokpal any freedom or strength," they said.

Countering Gandhi's argument that the Lokpal Bill is strong, they said, "Tell us with your hands on your heart, do you think that it is strong? Or is it that you are telling lies during election campaigning?" 

Team Anna also sought to put some tough questions to Gadkari on BJP's stance on Lokpal, asking him why the BJP did not move amendment in Lok Sabha seeking independence for the CBI while they did so in Rajya Sabha.

The BJP chief was also asked on the contradiction in the party's stand about setting up Lokayuktas in states through Lokpal law as it favoured the proposal during special sitting in August last year but opposed it in December. They said they were opposed to the BJP position that Lokayukta cannot be set up through Lokpal Bill.Claiming that the BJP does not appear fully supporting party-led Uttarakhand government's Lokayukta law, Team Anna sought to know from him whether they will make other BJP-ruled states to enact same kind of law if they are in agreement.

'Is Akhilesh Singh's attack on Rahul a pretence?'

Separate letters to leaders of the Congress, BJP, Samajwadi Party and BSP,the main contenders in the forthcoming Assembly elections in five states, is seen as a move by Hazare and his group, to battle charges of being anti-Congress and project a non-partisan face. They were earlier seen as being reluctant in attacking BJP, SP or BSP and too strident in their stand against the Congress as the ruling party has the primary responsibility to bring a strong law.

Team Anna had received flak for its anti-Congress stand during its campaign for a strong Lokpal Bill and earlier this month had decided not to target any single party during its campaign. However, a campaign pamphlet released last week had attacked the Congress accusing it of betraying the country on Lokpal issue even as the activists claimed that they will not seek votes for or against any single party.

Mulayam was asked why he walked out of Lok Sabha despite opposing it in the Standing Committee. "It is said that you will enter into a coalition withthe Congress after polls. Some others feel that you will join hands with BJP. We appeal to you to tell people clearly with whom you will enter into a coalition. You are from socialist line. People who vote for you is voting for you due to your socialist leanings. Do you think that the Congress and BJP have socialist leanings," the letter said.He was also asked whether he will join the UPA government after elections. "Akhilesh Singh (his son and prominent leader) attacks Rahul Gandhi, Congress and UPA. Is it just a pretence? Is this to mislead people?" he said.

The leaders were also asked about their stand on land acquisition as well as why they were forced to give tickets to people with criminal background.

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