Differences between the government and representatives of fasting anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare over a notification for a committee to draft the Lokpal Bill persisted on Friday.
HRD Minister Kabil Sibal, who is also a member of the Group of Ministers on the issue, said that talks with Hazare's representatives Swami Agnivesh and RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal could not be held as scheduled in the morning.
Sibal said the government had made it clear that a notification on a panel to draft the Lokpal Bill could not be issued. "We have instead offered to give them a letter from the law ministry," he said.
The civil society has been demanding that Hazare be made chairman of the joint committee, but Sibal said the government was sticking to its stand that a civil society representative could not head the panel.
"The seniormost cabinet minister will be chairman of the panel. If they want a civil society representative as head, the panel will have to comprise officials only (and not ministers)," Sibal said, adding that the government had asked Hazare's team to convey its views in the meeting rescheduled to Friday evening.
Hazare's fast unto death entered its fourth day on Friday. A groundswell of support for him saw Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi intervening with a personal appeal.
"I am pained by Anna Hazareji's fast unto death. The issues he has raised are of grave public concern¦. I am sure that Anna Hazareji's views will receive the government's full attention as we move forward to fight this menace. I appeal to Annaji to give up his fast," Sonia said on Thursday.
"There can be no two views on the urgent necessity of combating graft and corruption in public life. I believe that the laws in these matters must be effective and must deliver the desired results," she added.
Hazare is expected to write to Sonia seeking her intervention on the issue. Sonia's intervention was seen by many as an indication that the government may well cave in on issuing a draft notification. Sibal and Hazare's representatives have been in talks since Wednesday.
- With inputs from PTI
HRD Minister Kabil Sibal, who is also a member of the Group of Ministers on the issue, said that talks with Hazare's representatives Swami Agnivesh and RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal could not be held as scheduled in the morning.
Sibal said the government had made it clear that a notification on a panel to draft the Lokpal Bill could not be issued. "We have instead offered to give them a letter from the law ministry," he said.
The civil society has been demanding that Hazare be made chairman of the joint committee, but Sibal said the government was sticking to its stand that a civil society representative could not head the panel.
"The seniormost cabinet minister will be chairman of the panel. If they want a civil society representative as head, the panel will have to comprise officials only (and not ministers)," Sibal said, adding that the government had asked Hazare's team to convey its views in the meeting rescheduled to Friday evening.
Hazare's fast unto death entered its fourth day on Friday. A groundswell of support for him saw Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi intervening with a personal appeal.
"I am pained by Anna Hazareji's fast unto death. The issues he has raised are of grave public concern¦. I am sure that Anna Hazareji's views will receive the government's full attention as we move forward to fight this menace. I appeal to Annaji to give up his fast," Sonia said on Thursday.
"There can be no two views on the urgent necessity of combating graft and corruption in public life. I believe that the laws in these matters must be effective and must deliver the desired results," she added.
Hazare is expected to write to Sonia seeking her intervention on the issue. Sonia's intervention was seen by many as an indication that the government may well cave in on issuing a draft notification. Sibal and Hazare's representatives have been in talks since Wednesday.
- With inputs from PTI
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