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Politicians too are members of `civil society': Digvijay
Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh suggested that the drafting committee should invite representatives of all the political parties to discuss the bill, and it should also ponder how the corporate sector and NGOs could be brought within the ambit of Lokpal.
Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh today said that politicians were indispensable for drafting the Lokpal Bill.
"Though I am in favour of the Bill, the job of finalising the draft for such an important institution cannot be left just to a few members of the civil society," Digvijay said during an interaction at Indore Press Club today.
He asked why only a select members of the civil society were in the present panel (besides ministers). "Are politicians uncivilised? Can't they be members of civil society?"
Singh suggested that the drafting committee should invite representatives of all the political parties to discuss the bill, and it should also ponder how the corporate sector and NGOs could be brought within the ambit of Lokpal.
"If Anna Hazare and his associates think that whatever they decide in the name of civil society is sacrosanct, it is not acceptable," the Congress leader said.
He also said that it could not be expected that the draft finalised by the civil society members would be accepted as it was. "How can anyone take away the rights of the elected representatives?"
Singh said Hazare was a nice man, but was in the grip of some people who were using him. When asked if politicians were afraid of Hazare, he said, "Not at all. I used to touch his feet and will do so in future also. But, we will not accept his view that all politicians and voters are dishonest.
Digvijay also said that he respected senior counsel Shanti Bhushan and his son Prashant Bhushan as lawyers, but successfully practising law and drafting a bill were two different things.
"If we want to root out the corruption, then Lokpal alone will not serve the purpose. We have to focus on basic issues," he remarked.
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