Kiran Bedi says Lokpal Bill not `Jokepal`, questions AAP`s motive

On Kejriwal`s take that Anna Hazare is being misguided about the amended Lokpal Bill, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi slammed the AAP chief and said that Kejriwal is misguiding the people.

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: A day after Arvind Kejriwal criticised the present form of Lokpal Bill and referred it as a `Jokepal`, former IPS officer and social activist Kiran Bedi on Sunday refuted the claims of the Aam Aadmi Party convener. Bedi posted on the micro-blogging site Twitter – "Lokpal is certainly not a Jokepal! Those who term it this way perhaps want to keep d issue alive & not want it get started against corruption."

Lokpal is certainly not a Jokepal!Those who term it this way perhaps want to keep d issue alive & not want it get started against corruption

— Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) December 15, 2013

Yesterday, anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare who is fasting for passage in Parliament of Jan Lokpal Bill had hailed the draft Lokpal Bill and had said that he is ready to end his fast if the present Lokpal Bill is being passed in the Parliament. Reacting on Anna`s point of view, Kejriwal had tweeted, "I m really surprised. How can Anna accept sarkari lokpal bill? Sarkari lokpal is a "jokepal". Who is misguiding Anna?" In reply to Kejriwal`s tweet, Bedi today said, "If some are saying that the current Lokpal Bill is weak, then they haven`t read it properly, they must read it." "Anna wants law, he is a movement, but they (AAP) want issues because they are a political party now," Bedi said. Meanwhile, Bedi, who is also sharing stage with Hazare, said that the imperfection in the Lokpal Bill can be done away during its operation and added that the country needs a start as people are waiting for the bill for a longtime. "When a machine starts up, then we get to know about its power and things it can do. We get to know about the areas where improvement is needed. Anna has said that a start is needed as people are waiting for it. Imperfection can be done away in the process of functioning," Bedi added. On Kejriwal`s take that Anna Hazare is being misguided about the amended Lokpal Bill, Bedi slammed the AAP chief and said that Kejriwal is misguiding people. Bedi added that there are people around Anna who have done proper research on the bill and that these people are well educated and not illiterate. Earlier in the day, speaking to the reporters on the sixth day of his fast, Anna had said that he had read the draft Lokpal Bill tabled in the Rajya Sabha and was satisfied with the provisions. "I don`t want to die fasting to demand that each and every suggestion made by me should be included. I want to live because I want to start future agitations for more pro-people laws. I am satisfied with the current draft and I want to break my fast if that Bill is passed," he had said.