Team Anna to chalk out strategy for proposed protest

New Delhi, Dec 2: Team Anna will meet here for two days in the second week of December to chalk out its strategy for the proposed indefinite protest announced by Anna Hazare demanding a strong Lokpal Bill.

The meeting will be held on December 14 and 15 after Hazare holds a one-day protest in Jantar Mantar on December 11 to protest against the "watered down" report of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Lokpal.

"We will sit and decide the mode of protest in the second week of December," prominent Team Anna member Manish Sisodia said.

Hazare has already announced that he will sit on an indefinite dharna from December 27 at Ramlila Maidan if Parliament does not pass a strong Lokpal Bill. Team Anna has already approached MCD and Delhi Police for permission.

Reacting to the U-turn by Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Bill, Sisodia said their protest was not limited to inclusion of Group C employees but it also covers appointment process and issue of CBI among others.

"All inspectors, including police inspectors, ration inspectors, junior engineers are covered under Group C and if they are excluded from Lokpal, what purpose a commonman is going to get from Lokpal," he said.

Referring to the formulation of Standing Committee that Lokpal will forward complaints to CBI, another team member Kiran Bedi said, "In Standing Committee report, CBI now has three bosses -- CVC, Lokpal and of course the government through Department of Personnel. Now it has 9 Lokpals too. CBI groans? Silently."

The Committee had yesterday overturned its two key decisions within a day and favoured exclusion of group C officials from Lokpal and not to tamper with the present selection process of CBI Director despite opposition by at least 10 members.

PTI