Times of India; Pune;Syed Rizwanullah; Apr 2, 2011,
AURANGABAD: Noted social crusader Anna Hazare on Saturday called for a nationwide 'jail bharo' agitation on April 12 if the union government failed to take steps to enact the Lokpal bill by then. Hazare has already announced plans of going on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi from April 5 to demand the enactment of the anti-corruption law.
Hazare was in Aurangabad to address a meeting of students, lawyers, activists and intellectuals belonging to a cross-section of the society, at the Tapadia Natya Mandir, before leaving for Mumbai where a public meeting is being organised by his supporters on Sunday. He was accompanied by economist H M Desarda, lawyer Satish Talekar and the district unit president of Hazare's anti-corruption committee, Ramrao Borde.
Hazare, while terming the Lokpal bill campaign as the second movement for independence, said that it would not be possible for all his supporters to join him in Delhi. "But if the government continues to ignore the demand, people should resort to a 'jail bharo' agitation on April 12, at village, taluka and district levels at all the places," he said.
He alleged that it's the pressure from within that makes the prime minister hesitate to introduce a strong anti-corruption law. "It is for the same reason that the Lokpal bill could not be passed despite seven attempts in the past. With the law in force, everyone will be accountable as it will have provisions for instant action, like arresting those involved in corruption. Otherwise, there has been no instance, except for the recent case of former telecom minister A Raja, when ministers and politicians were made to face action in corruption cases. If the law comes into force, agencies working under the Lokpal would be able to immediately arrest corrupt ministers and bureaucrats," Hazare said.
He also rued the fact that the Right to Information Act (RTI), for which he had fought for about 10 years, has not reached even 50 per cent of the population. "It (the Act) can help check corrupt practices if understood and used by all the people," he said.
Hazare pointed out that it was the RTI that had helped expose the Adarsh, 2G and the CWG scam. "But there is no provision in the RTI to punish the corrupt; hence enactment of the Lokpal bill is essential. The Lokpal would be selected in a transparent manner and have the assistance of different agencies like the CBI and ED. There has to be a provision to recover the siphoned-off funds from the minister or bureaucrat concerned by confiscating their properties," he said.
He took strong exception to the committee of 10 union ministers appointed by the prime minister to discuss and chalk out the Lokpal bill. "How can we expect enactment of an anti-corruption law by these ministers? We have suggested to the prime minister that 50 per cent of the committee members should be from the public," he said.
Hazare said that he had bid goodbye to his fellow villagers in Ralegan Siddhi on Saturday telling them that he would not return to the village till the Lokpal bill was passed.
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