The decision to launch a political party would be taken on October 2 only if there was agreement on it by the majority, and Anna Hazare too favoured it, said Manish Sisodia, a key member of India Against Corruption, here on Thursday.
“The discussions are going on with the IAC members, and at the marathon meeting today, the majority was in favour of forming a political party,” Mr Sisodia told reporters.
“As far as Anna Hazare is concerned, we are clear that if he is not willing to form a party, then we will not go for it.”
“But, if he is willing and ready to play the role of a person who can admonish the wrong-doers, then certainly we will go ahead with our plan,” Mr Sisodia said, when asked about Hazare’s reservations on forming a party.
Admitting that senior IAC members Justice Santosh Hegde and Kiran Bedi also had different views, Mr Sisodia said efforts were on to convince them about the need to provide an alternative.
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Katju: take action on those who slapped charges
Age Correspondent with agency inputs
New Delhi, Sept. 13
Press Council of India chairperson Justice Markandey Katju has in an interview to a television channel condemned the slapping of sedition charges against Mumbai-based cartoonist Aseem Trivedi. He has also stated that those who had done it had indulged in a serious offence and were liable to face criminal proceedings.
Mr Katju also said that in case any similar wrongful arrest takes place in future, he himself would step in and get the guilty person, no matter how highly placed, put behind the bars.
“If a wrongful arrest is made, when the person has not committed sedition, as Assem Trivedi has certainly not committed sedition, then those people who make that wrongful arrest, it is a serious offence under the Indian Penal Code section 342,” Mr Katju said.
“They must be booked. These policemen and if any political authority have ordered these arrests, they must be immediately arrested and put on trial,” he added. Mr Katju said one of the ways for a victim of a wrongful arrest was to approach a judicial magistrate.