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Youth rally against corruption
A day before the 10-member panel committee meets to draft the Lokpal Bill at Delhi on Tuesday, members of India Against Corruption (IAC) held a public rally at Gateway of India to demonstrate the people’s support for the bill. Prajakta Chavan reports.
A day before the 10-member panel committee meets to draft the Lokpal Bill at Delhi on Tuesday, members of India Against Corruption (IAC) held a public rally at Gateway of India to demonstrate the people’s support for the bill.
The public rally was held with a vision to strengthen the movement, so that a strong bill is drafted without any hurdles.
The event, which was called Youth Against Corruption, had students participating in large numbers. Apart from the speeches, IAC volunteers explained the bill to those gathered through street plays and patriotic songs.
Before the public meet, a 47-km long torch relay was held from Borivli to the Gateway of India. Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Kiran Bedi joined the rally at Jehangir Art Gallery in Colaba.
While addressing the crowd at the Gateway, Bedi explained what the Bill was about and encouraged people not to give bribes. “Corruption is a cycle of demand and supply. People have to stop giving bribes to halt the supply and we need this bill to halt the demand,” said Bedi.
When asked for her reaction on the Bhushan controversy, Bedi said, “I do not want to go back. It is an old story and I am here to look forward to a strong drafting of the bill.”
On Anna Hazare’s comment regarding the Parliament making the final decision on the Bill, Bedi said, “The Parliament is above all of us. We will accept its decision. However, if they want the youth’s vote, they should listen to them.”
Thousands of people had gathered at the Gateway with banners. “This is the least we can do. Such a major movement is required to transfer power from a handful of people to the common man in order to run the country in a truly democratic manner,” said Aditya Salunke, a banker and a resident of Andheri.
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