Hazare claims conspiracy against Lokpal bill

[1]

Social activist Anna Hazare late on Friday claimed conspiracies were being hatched against Lokpal bill to curb graft and urged people to be ready to agitate to save the proposed legislation.

"Conspiracy is being hatched even today," he said during interaction with public here.

Hazare said he would again go on fast-unto-death for enactment of the bill being drafted by a 10-member panel that includes him and four other civil society members.

The panel was set up after Hazare went on fast in New Delhi. He ended the fast after five days following the central government agreeing to set up the panel to draft the bill.

Hazare expressed fears that politicians did not want the bill to be made a law and would scuttle the effort.

"But I will not stop the fight for its enactment. I will keep fighting", he said.

Former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Kiran Bedi and three other civil society members of the drafting panel, Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and N. Santosh Hegde, took part in the interaction.

Earlier, addressing farmers near Nelamangala, about 40kms from here, Hazare said once enacted the Lok Pal will curb graft by about 70 percent.

He arrived here on Friday on a two-day visit. On Saturday he will address a public meeting in Bengaluru.