Anna Hazare and his team of Arvind Kejriwal, Shanti and Prashant Bhushan attacked the Centre on Thursday for running away from an "open, transparent" discussion on the lokpal bill.
"Why can’t the ministers engage us in a public debate? Why don’t they put out their argument?" Kejriwal asked
.
Union minister Pranab Mukherjee had earlier rejected the proposal, saying such discussions do take place in Parliament and he had no time for TV debates.
While Team Anna is demanding answers, it does not welcome being quizzed. An attempt by Hindustan Times to seek Hazare’s explanation on some controversial positions he had taken was stonewalled by Kejriwal, who cancelled a tentatively agreed on interview.
"We do not want Anna to be drawn into any controversy,” he said, after HT discussed the questions in writing, as demanded by him.
Kejriwal, who controls access to Hazare, told HT that any interview could only focus on the lokpal bill and nothing else. After HT explained that these questions were necessary to understand Hazare’s political personality, the interview was called off.
{{/usCountry}}Kejriwal, who controls access to Hazare, told HT that any interview could only focus on the lokpal bill and nothing else. After HT explained that these questions were necessary to understand Hazare’s political personality, the interview was called off.
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