After talks, Team Anna accuses govt. of betrayal

“This is clearly betrayal. What else is this... In last four days, the government has changed its stand thrice,” Arvind Kejriwal, a close associate of Anna Hazare, told reporters after Team Anna’s fresh round of talks with government representatives.

Another key member of Team Anna, Prashant Bhushan, said, “Last night, we were given the impression that there would be a resolution which would be voted upon in Parliament on the three issues which have been mentioned by Mr. Hazare in his letter to the Prime Minister... Now we have been told that there will not be any resolution nor any voting.

“There will be some discussion at the end of which some sense of the House will be conveyed. This is not what we had understood at all. And if this is the case then this is not going to be very ‘helpful or meaningful’ at all.”

If no resolution will take place or no voting will happen and if this is the response given to Anna Hazare’s letter then it is “very unfortunate”, the lawyer said.

The fresh trouble comes amidst concerns over the health of the Gandhian, who has been fasting for last 12 days.

While some have accused members of Team Anna of playing hardball, the Hazare associates have alleged that government has been “betraying” it by changing its stance on the Lokpal issue.

“In Parliament, every party has said they are with Team Anna then why voting is not taking place,” Mr. Kejriwal said and asked the Bharatiya Janata Party to clear its stand on the issue.

“(Union Law Minister) Salman Khurshid has told us that they have spoken to the BJP and they are also not in favour of voting. So, the BJP should also clear their stand on the issue,” Mr. Kejriwal said.

Noting that Mr. Hazare had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asking a resolution to be moved in Parliament containing his three demands — inclusion of lower bureaucracy in Lokpal, a Citizen`s Charter should be displayed at all government offices and all States should have Lokayukta, Mr. Bhushan said, “If this is the response to his letter, it is very unfortunate.”