Congress appropriates Lokpal Bill passage credit to Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Congress on Tuesday sought to appropriate the credit for the passage of the Lokpal Bill in Rajya Sabha to its leader Rahul Gandhi`s "single-minded" determination" and claimed it has done the maximum on the issue earning praise even from Anna Hazare.

The party also indicated that it may be open to changes in its present position on RTI Act of keeping political parties out of its ambit when the RTI amendment bill comes before Parliament. Maintaining that there was uncertainty on whether the government will push through the Lokpal bill as there was opposition from some parties, Congress spokesperson PC Chacko said the bill is going to be passed by Parliament this time after a dozen failed attempts in the tenure of previous governments in the last 46 years. "It is due to the single-minded determination of Rahul Gandhi... Because of earnest attempts from Rahul Gandhi`s side, we could prevail over all the parties and Lokpal bill will be passed soon....It has become reality because Rahul Gandhi took the initiative. It was his determination that the bill should be passed," Chacko said replying to questions on the issue. He at the same time said he was not denying credit for the passage of the bill to Anna Hazare and recalled Gandhi had also acknolwedged the Gandhian`s role in Lokpal issue. "We are not denying credit to Anna Hazare... Anna Hazare had a role. The whole country knows Anna Hazare`s valued contribution.... Rahul Gandhi has talked to all parties whoever takes the initiative has to be given the credit," Chacko said. Asked about Anna-Rahul bonhomie in the wake of letters by them to each other on the Lokpal issue, the Congress spokesperson said whoever is speaking truth may be on the same side. "What Anna Hazare was doing was putting pressure to bring the Lokpal bill but finally it has to be passed by Parliament which is being done," he said.