The Congress frowned upon Anna Hazare's threat to go on hunger strike from August 16 on the Lokpal Bill issue,wondering whether "only five people are wise and the rest fools". Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh told reporters that going on a fast to threaten government does not behove a Gandhian like Hazare. Taking a dig at Hazare and his team,who have five members in the Joint drafting committee on the Lokpal Bill,Singh said the attitude that "only five people are wise and the rest are fools is not proper". He said the Congress and the government were committed to a strong Lokpal Bill and,therefore,all parties must come together for an effective legislation. Singh and party spokesperson Jayanthi Nataranjan,who spoke separately,insisted the so-called civil society should respect the inherent right of Parliament. Asked about Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's statement of leaving the Prime Minister out of the purview of Lokpal,she said this is his view and the Congress had not taken any final view on the matter so far.
