Sonia-Hazare meet ends; Anna hints at fast on Aug 16

New Delhi: Emerging out of a crucial meeting with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Gandhian Anna Hazare today iterated his decision to go on a hunger strike on August 16 if the right draft of the Lokpal Bill does not reach Parliament.
The 30-minute meeting at 10, Janpath ended at around 1635 hrs. Finance Minister and Lokpal Bill Drafting Committee chairperson Pranab Mukherjee was also present in the meeting.”I’ve told Ms Gandhi that the right draft should reach Parliament for discussion else I would start my hunger strike on August 16,” Mr Hazare told mediapersons after the meet.  RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal, who accompanied Mr Hazare, added that there was a discussion on 15 issues and the civil society presented both the government and their bill drafts before Ms Gandhi. “It was a good talk. She has promised to look into those issues and discuss with her party leaders,” Mr Kejriwal said. The meeting had earlier been scheduled for June 30. As no appointment was confirmed by the busy Congress leader, it was cancelled. During his campaign against corruption, Mr Hazare had written many letters to Ms Gandhi, including the one in which he expressed that he was hurt by the Congress leaders’ “smear campaign”. In another letter, he also urged Ms Gandhi to discuss the Lokpal draft in the National Advisory Council. Civil society representatives have been meeting various political party leaders to build a consensus on the bill. Team Anna has already met Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani, Left party leaders, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad.