Let parties decide if our draft is anti-constitutional: Hazare

Mumbai, Jun 24: Replying to criticism that he was seeking to create a ''parallel government'' through a Jan Lokpal bill without accountability, flouting the basic structure of the Constitution, social activist Anna Hazare today (Jun 24) said all parties should decide if that was the case.

"We have decided to approach leaders of all political parties and show them the government's draft and our draft," Hazare told PTI over phone.

"We will ask them to study the two drafts and let us know if they find anything that is against Constitution in our draft. We would like to know if our draft is an attempt at forming a parallel government," he added.

The Gandhian said civil society members would ask the leader of all parties their views on the drafts and how to go about eradicating corruption in our society.

"We will meet them and tell them to decide after reading our draft, so that no one says later that they were not shown the draft."

"Today's meeting of Lokpal bill drafting committee member Arvind Kejriwal and former top cop Kiran Bedi with senior BJP leader L K Advani was a part of this process," he said.

Asked about Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh's reported ''warning'' to him not to fast again else he may get the "same treatment" as Baba Ramdev, Hazare said "If the party is endangered, people (like Digvijay Singh) are bound to speak".

"They are bound to make attempts to checkmate the agitation and ensure that people do not participate," he said.

"We will make our efforts, they will make their efforts (to foil the agitation). Why should I worry about that."

PTI