New Delhi: The Anna Hazare team on Monday hit
out at the government accusing it of giving an inaccurate
version of the civil society draft on Lokpal and demanded that
its version be given equal weightage.
In a letter to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee,
joint drafting committee co-chairman Shanti Bhushan took
objection to the comparative analysis released by Law Minister
M Veerappa Moily and said anyone reading it will be completely
in the dark about the provisions of their version of Lokpal.
"This chart does not present Jan Lokpal Bill
accurately. Whereas there are inaccuracies at many places, the
sections from Jan Lokpal Bill have also not been fully quoted
at many other places. Any person reading this chart will be
completely in the dark about the provisions of the Jan Lokpal
Bill," Bhushan said.
At the joint drafting committee meeting on June 22, he
said there was no consensus on a common draft with five
members endorsing one version whereas the other five favouring
the second one.
"Therefore, both the drafts enjoy equal weightage as
far as the outcome of the joint committee is concerned. I
would still urge you to treat both the drafts as the outcome
of the joint committee," Bhushan said.
The letter came in the backdrop of the government
releasing a comparative statement on the drafts prepared by
the government side and the Hazare team, which Bhushan alleged
did not "accurately" present the civil society views.
However, Bhushan said if the government wishes to
combine the two in the form of a chart, they can make an
attempt to do that but with the concurrence of all members of
joint panel.
PTI
