By IANS,
Ralegan Siddhi : Anna Hazare Wednesday again described the Lokpal bill being brought by the government as a betrayal of the people and said it would in no way provide for a strong watch-dog institution in the fight against corruption.
Responding to a query about Congress president Sonia Gandhi describing the Lokpal Bill as path-breaking and strong, Hazare wondered how the proposed bill could be described as strong when the CBI was being kept outside its ambit.
Describing the bill as “weak”, Hazare said that it was aimed at protecting corrupt ministers. He said, “If the CBI was under Lokpal, then Home Minister P. Chiddambram would have been in jail”.
Saying that the “people will teach a lesson to this government one day”, Hazare said that he would go to the five states where assembly elections are to take place in 2012. “We will see the outcome of these elections and during national elections we will go to the people and tell them about the betrayal by the government.”
Mocking the Citizens Charter, Hazare said that an aggrieved common man who wants to procure a ration card or a passport would have to knock the doors of different officers at the state and the centre to get rederssal for his grievances.
He said the proposed grievance redressal mechanism was so cumbersome that it would make people directionless.
When asked about the prime minister being brought under the purview of the Lokpal, Hazare said it was being done to manage things.