M Reyaz BeyondHeadlines
Shanti Bhushan, Co-chairman of the Joint Drafting Committee of the Lok Pal Bill, has written a letter to Union Minister and Chairman of the drafting committee Pranab Mukharjee questioning government’s intentions on the proposed Lokpal Bill and police action at Ramlila ground on Saturday night.
- Civil Society members of the Joint-Committee on the Lokpal Drafting Committee (Courtesy: The Hindu)
The letter dated June 6, a copy of which is available to BeyondHeadlines, question government’s “divergence even on the vision and model of the Lopal.”
He also questioned the “frivolous manner” in which the responses of the state chief ministers and public parties were sought. He also accused the government of “shying away from any kind of public debate” and reiterated his demand for “televised live” debate on all issues concerning the said Lokpal.
He further “raised doubts… (on) whether the government was at all serious in dealing with corruption and having a strong Lokpal Bill.”
He has further written that the events of last Saturday night “strengthened our doubts” over the “high handed and brutal manner in which the grounds were evacuated shows that the government was committed to crush the people raising their voice against corruption.”
He has accused the government of assaulting “helpless and unarmed people, who were protesting against corruption.”
He also conveyed the decisions of the members of the “civil society” for not attending today’s meeting and assured that by tomorrow they will send a list of issues and has requested the government to “make government’s views public on these issues.
The next meeting was scheduled for June 10, but he has also requested for rescheduling it due to some engagements of Anna Hazare.
