Pranab Mukherjee to brief Cong MPs on Lokpal logjam

New Delhi, Aug 24: With a number of party MPs raising questions on the handling of Anna Hazare issue, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will hold a special briefing for them here on Thursday, Aug 24.

The decision comes in the backdrop of sections of party leaders voicing reservations over the government's bill on Lokpal and holding Hazare''s arrest a "wrong" decision.

Replying to questions about the meeting, AICC media department chief Janardan Dwivedi said,"It's a briefing of the party MPs by Pranab Mukherjee on the issue of Lokpal." Dwivedi added this is not the general body meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party as such.

Mukherjee is likely to brief the MPs about the events that led to certain government actions over the issue amid growing concerns among the party MPs over the fallout of Hazare's anti-corruption agitation in their constituencies.

Young MPs like Sandeep Dikshit, Priya Dutt, Sanjya Nirupam, Naveen Jindal and others have voiced their concern over the issue. While Dikshit had dubbed Hazare's arrest a "wrong" move, Dutt has found fault with the government''s Lokpal bill dubbing it as "weak".

Party MP from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh Praveen Singh Aron has already submitted a copy of Hazare's Jan Lokpal Bill before the Standing Committee, headed by Abhishek Singhvi, which is examining the Jan Lokpal Bill.

PTI