Hazare’s team invites govt nominees for public debate

Anna Hazare’s team on Wednesday invited the government’s nominees on the joint drafting panel of the Lokpal bill for a public debate on the six contentious issues, which could be telecast live on TV. HT reports.

Anna Hazare’s team on Wednesday invited the government’s nominees on the joint drafting panel of the Lokpal bill for a public debate on the six contentious issues, which could be telecast live on TV.

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In a letter to the finance minister and the joint panel chairman, Pranab Mukherjee, the co-chair Shanti Bhushan said they were organising a national public debate on the issues on which the government and the civil society have different opinions.

“The debate is likely to be telecast live by many national and regional TV channels. It would educate the people about these issues and help them in giving informed opinion,” Bhushan said.

“It would be useful if the government nominees of the drafting committee could also join the debate,” he said, proposing June 5 as the date for the proposed debate.

The veteran lawyer said in case the date and time were inconvenient for Mukherjee and his colleagues, the civil society team was ready to change it to some mutually convenient date and time.

“Even if all the five ministers cannot come, it would be useful if a few of them were present,” Bhushan said.

The civil society team also proposed that former Chief Justice of India JS Verma could preside over the debate. However, Bhushan said they have not yet spoken to Justice Verma and they will talk to him if Mukherjee agrees with the suggestion.