Hegde not in favour of Hazare going on fast again from Aug 16

Bangalore, Jun 18 (PTI) Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh
Hegde, a Lokpal Bill drafting committee member, says he is not
in favour of Anna Hazare undertaking his planned fast from
August 16 if a strong anti-corruption Bill was not prepared.
Hegde also said on Saturday he was apprehensive about
the final outcome of the proposed bill as it could be a
watered down version of what was originally envisaged.
"Annaji must continue his fight against corruption,
personally. He must not go on any hunger strike immediately.
He must go around the country and inform people about the
consequences of corruption and on development," Hegde told
PTI.
Hazare early this week threatened to go on fast again
from August 16 if a strong Lok Pal Bill is not ready.
Hegde also said that he had advised the Gandhian not
to go ahead since he has tremendous public support.
The former Indian Supreme Court judge said he would
not quit the drafting committee but would not be present in
the next meeting of the panel on June 20 owing to prior
engagements.
Hegde said he would not go to the fasting place or
take to the streets as he continued to occupy the post of
Lokayukta in Karnataka till August 2.
"I will participate in the movement after I demit
office," he said.
"The discussion on the bill is nearly over and after
the last meeting...of what you read between two parties, they
do not seem to see eye to eye and hence I am apprehensive of
the outcome of this effort," a candid Hegde said.
"They will a bring a bill for a certain, but how
strong the bill is going to be is a question," he said.
Voicing his doubts, he said, "They do not want the
PM to come under its scope, they do not want the judiciary,
they do not want military purchases being investigated nor
the central government employees nor the corrupt conduct of
MPs outside the House but having implications inside House."
On the Indian investigating agency Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) being kept out of the RTI Act, he said,
"Today they want to keep out CBI, tomorrow it will be the
police". Once an investigation was over, there could be
sharing of data to ensure transparency, he opined.

In a letter to Hazare, Hegde said he would not be able
to attend the June 20 and 21 meetings because of some
commitments in his district.
Sources said Hegde had informed Indian Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the last meeting that he would
not be able to attend the meeting due to prior commitments.