BJP conceding opposition space to non-governmental types: Cong

New Delhi, Jun 28: Congress on Monday, Jun 27 sought to corner BJP over Anna Hazare's agitation on the Lokpal issue, asking why it left the opposition's space to "pretenders and non-governmental types".

"Why the opposition space is being conceded by BJP to pretenders and non-Governmental types. Advani will do some good for democracy if he could throw some light on it," party spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters at the AICC briefing here.

Attacking the senior BJP leader for his comments against Congress and Gandhi family in his blog, Tewari said that it would be better if Advani instead focussed on shrinking space of the BJP.

The Congress remarks came ahead of the July 3 all-party meeting on the Lokpal issue. The move is being seen as an effort to take the entire political class on board before taking on Team Hazare, which is on a collision course with the Centre on some of the provisions of Lokpal bill.

Asked about Union Minister Kapil Sibal's remark suggesting that the step of engaging the civil society members led by Hazare in drafting the Lokpal bill may not be repeated again, Tewari said "who can and who cannot be defined as civil society".

He asked whether those persons who do not constitute such a group to advance their ideas will be called "uncivil".

"The manner in which certain non-governmental types have behaved in last few months of my way or highway is most undemocratic," he said.

A senior party leader speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that engaging with the Hazare team into drafting the bill was "avoidable".

PTI