The saying “old is gold” has become perfectly relevant after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh roped in seasoned leader Pranab Mukherjee to resolve the crisis that began on August 16 following Mr Anna Hazare’s fast for a stronger Lokpal Bill here.
Mr Mukherjee, the finance minister, has been playing the role of troubleshooter ever since the UPA came to power at the Centre. On Tuesday, he held consultations with senior leaders and Union ministers Sharad Pawar and Vilasrao Deshmukh at his office in Parliament House to assess the impact of Mr Hazare’s fast and its possible consequences.
He undertook this exercise after realising Mr Hazare has been receiving support from some Congress MPs in Maharashtra and outside on his crusade against corruption.
Mr Mukherjee kept the Prime Minister briefed about the feedback he got from different leaders and channels. After that it was decided to call a meeting of floor leaders in Parliament at the Prime Minister’s residence on Wednesday and the CPP general body meeting on Thursday.
In the evening, the Prime Minister appealed to Mr Hazare to end the fast assuring him that the government is prepared to request the Lok Sabha Speaker to formally refer the Jan Lokpal Bill to the standing committee for their holistic consideration along with everything else.
After that, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met Dr Singh at his office in Parliament House.
In the night, Mr Mukherjee called a meeting of Team Anna comprising Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and Kiran Bedi at his North Block office.
While the Congress insiders, including MPs, felt that the party got isolated on this issue, the BJP MPs want the party leadership to give a clear directive whether or not they should support Mr Hazare openly in his fight against corruption. “We will raise this issue in the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting on Wednesday, “ a BJP official said.
Some Union ministers feel that this crisis could be resolved only by adopting a flexible approach.
A delay in ending Mr Hazare’s fast could create law and order problems in different states ahead of the 10-day Ganesh festival as various forces could become active.
During the day, former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral came out in support of Mr Hazare, saying the Gandhian’s campaign against corruption has made the common man feel empowered and realise that he can be an “agent of change” in the society. “I dare say that your clarion call has stirred our nation in a manner that is reminiscent of our Independence struggle, when young and old, rich and the poor selflessly dedicated themselves for the success of a movement that shaped our future,” he said in the letter.