Hazare's version of Lokpal bill unacceptable: Sibal

Mumbai, Jul 7 (PTI) Union minister and a key member of
the Lokpal bill drafting committee Kapil Sibal Thursday said
that Team Hazare's version of the legislation was
unacceptable, as some of its provisions were against the basic
tenets of the Constitution.
Addressing Congress workers here, Sibal described "team
Anna" as "an unelected group with accountability to no one."
He also said, jokingly, that Centre should have taken
"inputs" from Vilasrao Deshmukh, who had the experience of
dealing with "Hazare and his fasts" in western state of
Maharashtra.
"Lokpal (as per team Anna draft) would not be accountable
to Parliament or the courts because these institutions would
be brought under it. This is not acceptable," he said.
The minister said that more than through the
Lokpal(Ombudsman), corruption can end if existing systems are
rectified.
Citing instances of how parents can go to any extent when
trying to enrol child in the best school, he said such
malpractices would stop only when suitable infrastructure is
created and better schools are set up.
He wondered how civil servants, elected representatives
and the judiciary, which Hazare and his colleagues felt were
"tainted', would become "clean" under the Lokpal.
Targeting media, he said, "The country cannot run under
the institutions which do not have accountability... I am
going to recommend to the Prime Minister that even the media
be made accountable."
"Reputations are being tarnished on television," he said.
Sibal attacked the Bhartiya Janta Party(BJP) for keeping
mum in the Lokpal debate, and accused it of attempting to
destabilise the polity and Parliament.
Earlier, in a lighter vein, Sibal said the government
made the mistake of not enlisting the help of his Cabinet
colleague and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao
Deshmukh while engaging Hazare.
Addressing Deshmukh, who was also present, Sibal said,
"You have the experience of dealing with Hazare and his fasts
(in Maharashtra). With your inputs, the government would have
handled the issue differently."