By IANS,
New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari has said that his party has yet to decide on attending the all-party meeting on the Lokpal called by the government Sunday.
“The NDA will meet and take a decision on whether to attend the all-party meeting,” Gadkari told NDTV in an interview.
“The UPA wants us to attend the all-party meeting because now it needs our help,” Gadkari said while stressing that the government had not sought to include the opposition when it set up a committee to draft the Lokpal bill.
The joint drafting committee for the Lokpal bill, co-chaired by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and former law minister Shanti Bhushan, comprises five ministers and five representatives of the civil society, led by Gandhian activist Anna Hazare.
The government has opposed the demand of the civil society activists to bring the Prime Minister’s Office under the Lokpal bill. The BJP has said it will reveal its stance on this issue only in the monsoon session of parliament.
Gadkari sought to play down his recent remarks about Sonia Gandhi, saying “she is not my enemy.” “If she invites me for tea. I will go and meet her. But I don’t regret what I said.”
“Sonia Gandhi says she will fight corruption. It is like Pakistan saying they will fight terrorism. Will anyone believe this,” Gadkari had asked a fortnight ago in Kolkata.