New Delhi, July 3 (ANI): The crucial all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to discuss the draft anti-graft Lokpal Bill will be held here on Sunday.
According to reports, the all-party meeting is unlikely to come out with a common view on the Lokpal legislation with NDA and Left parties playing hardball and the government yet to finalise its draft bill.
Social activist Anna Hazare met Congress President Sonia Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence here on Saturday to seek her support on the Lokpal Bill.
After the meeting, Hazare said the civil society has put its view before the UPA chairperson, and added that she has promised to look into the issue.
Apart from the civil activists team, today's meeting will be attended by parties across the political spectrum. BJP and the Left have confirmed their participation.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani on Saturday said that the allies of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will attend Sunday's all-party meeting to seek views across the political spectrum on the issue of inclusion of the Prime Minister under the anti-graft Lokpal Bill.
The decision came after the BJP held a meeting to finalize its stand on the Bill.
Earlier, on Friday, a group led by veteran social activist Anna Hazare had met senior BJP leaders, including Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Nitin Gadkari, in New Delhi to garner support for the proposals suggested by the civil society members in the Lokpal Bill.
Janata Dal (United) (JD-U), Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Trinamool Congress, Janata Dal (Secular) (JD-S), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) are also expected to attend the meeting.
The final meeting between the government and civil society representatives on the drafting panel ended on June 22 with divergent views remaining on six key issues including bringing the post of Prime Minister under the purview of the ombudsman.
The key issues of differences are on inclusion of the Prime Minister, higher judiciary and acts of Members of Parliaments inside Parliament within the purview of the Ombudsman committee, the mode of selection and removal of its members.
Two sets of drafts-one by the government and the other by the civil society representatives would now be circulated amongst political parties and it would be forwarded to the Cabinet for the final drafting of the bill. (ANI)
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