Bihar : Lending his full support to Gandhian Anna Hazare’s campaign against corruption, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has said that the agitation was manifestation of the people’s pledge against corruption.
“I have full support to Anna Hazare for his campaign against corruption… It is manifestation of people’s pledge against corruption”, Kumar told reporters in Patna on Friday.
Disagreeing with the view expressed by some quarters equating the social activist’s campaign with the movement launched by late Jaya Prakash Narayan, Kumar said Hazari’s was “an independent movement”.“There is widespread resentment, indignation and discontent brewing in the people’s mind against corruption”, he said and adding that a string of corruption allegations had surfaced during UPA-II and had “agitated the people’s mind”.
“People supported Ramdev Baba for his crusade against corruption and now they are rallying behind Hazare on the issue”, he said, maintaining that his campaign was “widespread and had broader people’s support.”
“Hazare is receiving overwhelming response”, he said and cited his statements against corruption in over 300 election meetings during the assembly polls.
“Jan Lokpal bill being demanded by Hazare has full support from the people”, he said, adding the UPA government should not make it a prestige issue and concede the demand instead of delaying the issue in the name of “constitutional mechanism.”
“Constitutional mechanism is not necessary in the present case… It has full support of the people and their sentiments must be respected,” he said apparently referring to the demand for making Anna Hazare chairman of the Jan Lokpal Bill committee.
Taking the case of National Advisory Council (NAC) being headed by Sonia Gandhi to which several NGOs too are representatives, Kumar said the committee comprising the NAC representatives had drafted the Food Security bill for which preparations were afoot for official notification.
“Whatever Anna Hazare is saying should be accepted… NAC has a controlled condition but Hazare’s view for engaging them in drafting the Jan Lokpal bill is a natural condition,” he said.
“Anna wants that there should be unanimity and participation of all for drafting the Jan Lokpal bill and it also suggests that the law be framed keeping in mind people’s interests,” he said.
Noting that Bihar government’s decision for constitution of a special court and seizure of properties of corrupt public servants, besides the Right to Service Act to be implemented were “in true spirit of Anna’s crusade against corruption”, he said there should be “an open and wider” debate on the issue of corruption.
He said time now called for a strict and wider law to check corruption.
“The government should not create an atmosphere of doubts and implement an integrated law and the agitation be treated separate from politics,” he said.