No need for special session on Lokpal: Anna Hazare

Gandhian socialist activist Anna Hazare, whose hungerstrike forced the government to agree on an anti-corruption ombudsman bill with civil society participation, said on Sunday the coming monsoon session of Parliament was right time to move forward with the proposed bill.

?There is no need to call a special session and waste money. The bill can come in the monsoon session coming in two months,? he told reporters here, a day after breaking his five-day-long fast in demand of the law.

?The next monsoon session is enough,? he said, adding that legal experts have to draft the law and the existing committee formed on the bill is not permanent.

?This committee is for two months only. The law experts have to draft the bill. It has to be strong. There would be a permanent committee later,? he said.

The 73-year-old corruption crusader said in democracy majority matters.

?I cannot do anything alone, it will be authoritarianism,? he said.

He said as part of their next strategy, they would make the people aware in every village of the menace of corruption. He stressed on SMS campaign on corruption.

He said common people were helpless and when they saw his group they came out in support and lent strength to the movement.

He said he had initially decided to start the protest in Maharashtra, but later his colleagues like Kiran Bedi asked him to come to Delhi and fight it in the national capital.

Indians poured into streets celebrating a victory when the government on Friday night agreed to a Jan Lokpal Bill with people?s participation.

Anna Hazare broke his 98-hour long fast Saturday but only after bringing the government to its knees.

Demands that seemed outrageous even a week ago, were met almost word-to-word after the 1965 Indo-Pak war veteran spurred an unprecedented national movement, drawing millions of supporters across the country and even abroad.

Thousands joined the leader at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi while many others fasted in other cities.

?The real fight begins now,? he said as he broke his fast after getting formal conformation that the government had agreed to virtually every demand that his group India Against Corruption (IAC) had placed over drafting and implementing a fresh ombudsman bill.

A team with five members from the government, and five from civil society, led by a chairman and a co-chairmen from the two sides will now work towards drafting a bill that has been waiting for 42 years and is now finally expected to be tabled in the monsoon session of the parliament.

A formal notification, naming the members and other details of the panel — something which the Congress-led coalition government at the Centre was adamant over not allowing — was issued as well.