Wrong to hijack democratic institutions, says
NAC member Aruna Roy
Saturday August 20, 2011 08:12:04 PM,
IANS
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New
Delhi:
Aruna Roy, member of the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory
Council, Saturday hit out at the ongoing protest by Team Anna and
said no one should be allowed to hijack democratic institutions.
Addressing media persons at the Press Club here, Roy said social
activist Anna Hazare's indefinite fast to get the civil society's
version of the Lokpal Bill passed was wrong. She said Hazare was
"ill advised and it is wrong to undermine democratic
institutions".
Roy also said a version of the Lokpal bill drafted by the National
Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI) of which she is
a member, would be presented to the parliament's standing
committee.
"We will present our views before the standing committee. We hope
the consultations will result in a good Lokpal Bill," said Roy.
Her comments came as the standing committee published
advertisements in newspapers Saturday seeking public opinion on
the government's draft Lokpal Bill presented in parliament.
Roy also said the office of the prime minister should come under
the Lokpal.
"We believe the prime minister's office should come under the
Lokpal Bill. We have suggested some safeguards for this in our
version of the bill," said Roy.
Stating that widespread consultations were required before the
anti-graft law takes shape, Roy said the NAC had involved Anna
supporters Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal in
its consultations on the draft Lokpal Bill.
The NAC dropped further consultation process on a draft Lokpal
Bill after a 10-member civil society-government team was formed to
draft an anti-graft bill following a hunger strike by Hazare in
April.
Her associate Nikhil Dey said the government Lokpal Bill deals
with only an ombudsman at the centre and it should also appoint
Lokayuktas at the state level and have a separate mechanism for
grievance redressal.
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