'Anna bill basis for strong Lokpal'

BJP national president Nitin Gadkari on Thursday wrote to Anna Hazare that the BJP has accepted the "draft Jan Lokpal Bill to be the basis for a strong and effective Lokpal to be put in place at the earliest, without getting into procedural wrangles".

BJP national president Nitin Gadkari on Thursday wrote to Anna Hazare that the BJP has accepted the "draft Jan Lokpal Bill to be the basis for a strong and effective Lokpal to be put in place at the earliest, without getting into procedural wrangles".

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He also appealed to Hazare to break his fast and wished him a long life.

However, on whether he was demanding that the government withdraw the Lokpal Bill and introduce Hazare's version, Gadkari steered clear of demanding that the latter be introduced.

Gadkari's letter accused the government of going back on its stance on Wednesday, as alleged by Team Anna.

"I fail to understand where things have gone wrong? Is the government not concerned about your health?" wrote Gadkari.

Sensing popular pressure, three BJP and Shiv Sena MPs from around Hazare's village Ralegaon Siddhi, met him at Ramlila Ground.

They are BJP's Ahmednagar MP Dilip Kumar Mansukhlal, in whose constituency Hazare's village comes, and Sena MPs Bhausaheb Wakchaure from Shirdi and Shivaji Adhalrao Patil from Shirur.

The BJP agrees with the Jan Lokpal Bill on bringing the PM under its ambit, minus some sensitive functions. The party wants a separate law for judges, which Team Anna has also agreed.

Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said the BJP had no problem with the citizens' charter but has problems with aspects like the Lokpal being allowed to tap phones.

The party agreed with many aspects of Aruna Roy's bill.