Lawmakers slam Government for not being able to pass Lokpal Bill

New Delhi, Dec 30 (ANI): Slamming the Central Government for not being able to pass the Lokpal Bill in Rajya Sabha, leaders of various opposition parties termed the adjournment of the House sine die a conspiracy.
Talking to reporters here, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) leader Sitaram Yechury slammed the government by saying that since the government wanted to bring in a weak Lokpal Bill it was not supported by the opposition parties.
"The minister of the Central Government cleared that the government will decide the business of the Parliament and the reason was clear that they didn't have the numbers in the Rajya Sabha, they didn't have majority in Rajya Sabha. They didn't want changes to be made in the Lokpal Bill and they wanted an ineffective Lokpal Bill to work as an institution, so stop all these things, a conspiracy has been hatched and I believe that it is very unfortunate for our democratic country and it is huge defeat of the government," he added.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Satish Chandra Mishra said that the government never wanted to present a strong Lokapl Bill.
"Definitely, the government has completely failed today, because it was in minority, it continued the debate deliberately till 12 O' clock, we kept on insisting, when we smelled the mind of the government, we insisted that it should continue for the whole night, if required," said Mishra.
Trinamool Congress party lawmaker Sukhendu Sekhar Roy termed the whole episode in the upper house as sad day for Indian democracy.
"We wanted the Lokpal Bill to be passed properly but the amendments which we wanted to make on the Lokayukta were necessary and we wanted the government to pass them. We also wanted part three to be omitted from the Bill. This is what we asked for and we also gave amendments but it's very unfortunate that when we were waiting for voting suddenly an atmosphere was created to disrupt the house proceedings and according to us it is very sad for the democratic country," said Roy.
The bill, which was passed by the Lok on Wednesday was taken up for a discussion and vote in Rajya Sabha . But after a marathon debate that stretched until midnight, the vote failed to take place for lack of time.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die late night amid uproar created by several MPs, without voting on the bill.
The anti-graft legislation for which social activist Anna Hazare and his team have fomented a successful mass movement may now be taken up in the budget session of parliament, probably in March. (ANI)

We never know how, God, in His Wisdom, decides to play things.
He made Anna unwell to such an extent that he could not continue his fast.
So one of the things which our MPs were always objecting to is that they would not be pressurized into making laws.
So there, God had removed the pressure - what have our august MPs done.
Made a mess of the whole thing.
Anna has always been saying that the Congress would be responsible for not passing the Lokpal bill.
He has been proved right again.
Right from the beginning their aim was to drift aimlessly so that the bill was not passed.
Since they knew that they were not in the majority in the Rajya Sabha, it would have been proper to have the bill passed first in the Rajya Sabha with whatever amendments could be agreed upon by both the government and its allies on one side and the opposition on the other.
It could then have been given to the Lok Sabha with all the amendments and since the government was comfortably placed in the Lok Sabha, they should have had no problem.
Instead, they got it passed first in the Lok Sabha and presented it to the Rajya Sabha as fait accompli for passing knowing full well the all parties wanted the CBI to be separated from control the government.
The government just did not want to release control of the CBI as that was asking it to give up one of its aces to harass the opposition and anyone who went against the government.
The other point of the Lokayukta was minor and could easily have been sorted out. The main thorn was "control of the CBI"
It is obvious that if any single party is responsible for the failure of the Lokpal bill, it is the Congress party.