Pranab appeals to Anna Hazare to end fast
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the senior-most cabinet minister in the United Progressive Alliance government, Friday appealed to social activist Anna Hazare to end his fast-unto-death to demand a stringent anti-graft law.
"I appeal to Anna Hazare to end the fast and participate in the informal committee (the government has proposed to draft the regulation)," Mukherjee told reporters on the sidelines of the CII national conference and annual session here.
Hazare's fast entered its fourth day Friday. He is also demanding that 50 percent of the committee that drafts the anti-graft law should comprise prominent civil society representatives.
Mukherjee also said talks were on with Hazare to come to an agreement on his demands.
While the government has agreed to the constitution of a panel, it rejected demands that it be notified and be headed by either former chief justice of India J.S. Verma or former Supreme Court judge Santosh Hegde.
Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said Friday he had conveyed to Arvind Kejriwal and Swami Agnivesh, two civil society activists backing Hazare, the government's disagreement over two of their important proposals.
Sibal said he conveyed to Hazare's representatives that it was "not possible for the government to issue an official notification" with respect to constitution of the committee.
"But we are willing to issue an official letter from a department of the government, may be the law ministry, to constitute the committee and of course, a press note," he said.
The minister also conveyed to the movement's members that it was "not possible for us to accept the chairmanship of a member of the civil society over this joint drafting committee".
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Posted on: Friday, April 08, 2011 4:24 PM
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Subject: Pranab appeals to <b>Anna Hazare</b> to end fast
