Hazare confident that Parliament will pass Lokpal Bill

New Delhi, Dec 15: As consensus eluded political parties on Lokpal issue, Anna Hazare today (Dec 15) said he has confidence in Parliament that it will pass the bill as everybody in government has given his team the assurance.

However, he said if there is not enough time for deliberations on the legislation, the Winter Session of Parliament should be extended for passing Lokpal Bill.

"(There will be a consensus) in Parliament if not at all-party meeting. All MPs are there, it will be passed there...Yesterday people put forward right points, some pointed out the deficiencies.

"Everybody in the government is giving us assurances that we will get a Lokpal Bill. So we should have faith in them. But if they don't bring it, then we will have to agitate," he said ahead of the second day of Team Anna's Core Committee meeting.

Hazare was responding to questions on consensus eluding the all-party meeting on Lokpal Bill and apprehensions that the bill will not be passed in the ongoing Winter Session.

He also repeated his demand for extending the Winter Session of Parliament for passing Lokpal Bill if there is not enough time for deliberations on the legislation.

"It is important for the country. Earlier also, you have occasions when the Session was extended," he said, adding the venue of his proposed protest could be shifted to Mumbai depending on the weather conditions in Delhi. "If the climate is good, then it will be in Delhi," he added.

Replying to questions on the all-party meeting, Team Anna member Kiran Bedi said almost all the parties were unanimous on CBI getting autonomy.

"The key issue is the autonomy of CBI. You have the SP, BSP, Left, BJP asking for autonomy. I think the Congress view now needs to be known," she told reporters.

When pointed out that some leaders have cautioned government against rushing through the Bill, Bedi said, "Who are these parties? Not the BJP surely as Sushma Swaraj tweeted that they want it in this session. Are they managed voices, isolated voices?".

She said the day people start trusting CBI, governance will come in.

"The parties are asking for autonomy and admitting that CBI has been abused, this is why we need Lokpal. CBI is a graveyard of corruption, it is waiting to be exhumed. That's why there is a desperate effort to keep it protected as long as possible," she said.

Kejriwal said it was wrong to say that there was no consensus at the all-party meeting.

"There was consensus on many things. There could be some points," he said.

PTI