‘Don’t link Bhushan cases with panel work’

In a bid to de-link the allegations against Shanti Bhushan and his son Prashant from the works of the panel to draft Lokpal Bill, social activist Swami Agnivesh said they should be punished if they are found guilty but differed on relating the cases with the work of the panel, which Bhushans are part of.

In a bid to de-link the allegations against Shanti Bhushan and his son Prashant from the works of the panel to draft Lokpal Bill, social activist Swami Agnivesh said they should be punished if they are found guilty but differed on relating the cases with the work of the panel, which Bhushans are part of.

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When asked whether he was doubting the motives of the people who are raising questions about the Bhushans, he said “No, not at all. This is for a limited period with a limited mandate to draft a legislation. The work stops on June 30 and then everybody is free to hunt them, find out whatsoever is wrong with them, punish them if they are guilty. So, there is no problem with that”.

On being asked whether he was seeking a reprieve for Bhushans till June 30, Agnivesh said he is against relating the cases to the work of the committee. “I am not saying give them a reprieve as such. I would say start the case if you have any facts, figures or any case against them. We have no problem with that, but don't relate that to the drafting committee,” Agnivesh told Karan Thapar’s Devil’s Advocate programme.

When asked if he thought the Bhushans are the Achilles heel, the weak link in the Anna Hazare's movement, he maintained that they were the “strongest link.”

“… They are the strongest link, because when we had started this whole process nearly eight months ago, it was Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan who came foreword to draft the bill together with Santosh Hegde and Arvind Kejriwal”, Agnivesh told Karan Thaper in Devil’s Advocate programme.

He maintained that the “legal acumen” and all the other things had served (the movement) well.

To a question on whether the two would have been included in the Committee had the allegations surfaced before Anna Hazare sat on a hunger strike, he said, "Had we known this six months ago, there could have been discussions about it (Bhushans' inclusion)."