New Delhi, Dec 11 (ANI): Team Anna member Manish Sisodia on Sunday criticised the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre for its opposition to bring lower bureaucracy under the ambit of the Lokpal Bill.
Attacking the government over the debate of inclusion of lower bureaucracy in the Lokpal Bill ambit, Sisodia said that the argument that the employee number was too big to control is not acceptable.
He later questioned as to how that the Central Vigilance Commission, under whom at present the lower bureaucracy is all set to be, will manage the large employee population.
"They say Group C (lower bureaucracy) employees should not be included under the Lokpal, because they are 57 Lakh in number and the Lokpal would not be able to administer all of them. They want these employees to be under the CVC (central vigilance commission)," said Sisodia.
"We ask that is CVC that capable that it can manage so many employees? The injection you are going to give to the CVC, why don't you give it to the Lokpal? Also, the rest 3 lakh of Group A can also be covered under Lokpal," he added.
Sisodia further said the elected representatives should consult people in their constituencies before taking major decisions.
"When we demand the Lokpal Bill, they (government) say corruption won't be wiped out if it is implemented. We know that, we have been saying it for the past one year. But in the past eight months you have taught us that we also need better laws," said Sisodia.
"I live in Ghaziabad, I want that when the lawmaker from Ghaziabad votes on some issue he should not be influenced by the party high command, but he should ask my opinion first. This is because we have elected him as our representative. For example he should ask me my opinion on the nuclear deal or on the Wal-Mart issue first and then vote," he added.
Meanwhile, veteran social activist Anna Hazare's supporters continued to pledge their support for the veteran anti-graft crusader and his movement.
Sushma Katiyar, a lady from Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur city, said that although she does not have much knowledge about the details of the ombudsman bill, but was a huge fan of Hazare and admired his thoughts.
"My daughter lives in Delhi, so I had come here yesterday to meet her. So, both of us husband and wife decided to come here at the venue. We don't know much, we only love Anna. Whatever he says we like and that is why we are supporting him," said Sushma.
Another supporter Subhash Sethi echoing similar sentiments said that Hazare was fighting for the rights of the people and that he was even ready to sacrifice his life for Hazare.
"I am willing to lay my life for Anna Hazare, because he is working for the Jan Lokpal Bill for 121 crore people. If the police arrests him or assaults him or even if he dies, thousands of new Annas will take birth. The government cannot stop us," added Sethi.
Hazare sat on a day-long fast at the Jantar Mantar here to protest against the proposals of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Lokpal Bill.
Hazare, who is fighting for a strong anti-graft bill, has been demanding that the lower bureaucracy should be brought within the ambit of the Lokpal besides provisions for Citizen's Charter and setting up of Lokayuktas under a central law.
The 74-year-old social activist has also warned the government that he would sit on an indefinite fast from December 27 at the Ramlila Maidan here if a strong Lokpal Bill is not passed in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.
The Lokpal Bill is seen as a weapon to root out corruption and nepotism from the government machinery and in public life.
The proposed Bill envisages the setting up of a national anti-corruption watchdog to check financial mismanagement and corrupt practices that have deeply pervaded several democratic and civic institutions of India.
Hazare had staged an indefinite hunger strike against graft that he gave up on August 28 when the government agreed to deliberate the issues raised by him and his forum vis-a-vis the passage and enactment of the Lokpal Bill, a suggestion that has received unprecedented nationwide backing. (ANI)
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