Underlining that the Lokpal will be created before 2014 elections, Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid has indirectly blamed the Team Anna members for his meeting with Anna Hazare not yielding any results.
Participating in a programme on CNN-IBN, the Law Minister said, “It is not for me to give an assessment because Prime Minister must do so. But if you are asking me about my own assessment, my own feelings, I think, yes, absolutely. In fact to say it will be long before the Parliament elections of 2014. But I cannot give you a date. I cannot give a deadline.”
Khurshid, who was silent on his meeting with Hazare, pointed out that he had shared the details of his meeting with Hazare and the letter by Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy was a result of that.
Khurshid said during his meeting, Hazare reiterated inclusion of all the officials under Lokpal, creation of Lokayukta in the states and a citizen’s charter.
The Law Minister said when he explained that the government had already done it, Hazare wanted the Centre to put it on record in a letter.
He said Narayanasamy sent the letter to Hazare at India Against Corruption’s address. “I think they should have, in their decency, forwarded it to Anna Hazare. Instead, they opened it.”
The Law Minister further said had the contents of a letter sent by Narayanasamy to Hazare not come to the notice of the Team Anna members, something could have come of his June 23 private meeting with Hazare.
Maintaining that Hazare did not give any assurance to him, Khurshid said Hazare did inform that he would not undertake the July 25 fast.
To a query, whether Hazare has gone back on his words, Khurshid replied, “I do not know. Apparently he has.”