After a meeting with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to end the deadlock on the Jan Lokpal Bill issue, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee made an appeal to social activist Anna Hazare to end his fast-unto-death, which has entered the fourth day today.
Mukherjee, who met the Prime Minister at his official 7 Race Course Road residence, along with Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal, also asked 72-year-old Hazare to join in the drafting of the Lokpal.
The government talked tough on Hazare's demand for an effective Lokpal Bill earlier today, saying it cannot accede to the demands of the chairmanship of the joint drafting committee being given to a civil society member and for issuing an official notification.
A meeting of Sibal with anti-corruption activists Swami Agnivesh and Arvind Kejriwal, which was scheduled to be held this morning, did not take place with both sides saying they were waiting for each other.
According to reports, Sibal later held a held a telephonic conversation with Agnivesh, where the former clearly stated the government's stand on the issue and also called for another round of talks at 6 p.m. today.
"Only government officials will be members of the join drafting committee. We are willing to issue an official letter instead of a notification from the department of the government of India, maybe the Law ministry, to constitute the committee. All the other conditions are acceptable to us," said Sibal.
"Third round of talks between government and anti-corruption activists on Lokpal Bill issue will be held at 6 p.m.," he added. (ANI)
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