Extra parliamentary protest unjustified: PC

He was replying to a question on how the government viewed Anna’s proposed agitation at a time when the draft bill for Lokpal is being deliberated by the Standing Committee on Law,Justice and Personnel.

Agreeing that “everybody has a right to protest and the context and circumstances will decide whether the protest was right or not”,the Home Minister said Team Anna’s earlier fast,when the Lokpal bill was not in place,was perhaps right but not now when a bill has already been introduced in Parliament and the government has “moved forward” on it.

He also opined that the government’s draft Lokpal Bill will receive many suggestions in the Standing Committee as well as in Parliament from the opposition parties,and some of these may also be accommodated.

On the delay in permission to Anna to hold the fast and how the government intends to tackle the stir,the Home Minister said that the matter rests with Delhi Police Commissioner and the government was “not tackling or pushing anyone”.

“I think we are jumping the gun. He wants to have a protest fast and has applied for permission before the Delhi Police. The application is under process. Police Commissioner has to decide. See what he decides,” he said.

On the claim by Team Anna that 90 per cent people in Rahul Gandhi’s constituency Amethi support the Jan Lokpal Bill,the Home Minister said that he can only repeat what Union Minister Kapil Sibal had earlier said — that “we are surprised it is not 100 per cent”.

Chidambaram also maintained that protesting BJYM workers were not lathicharged by police on August 9 in the Capital. Following the lathicharge,the BJP had stalled parliamentary proceedings and demanded the Home Minister’s resignation.

“There was no lathicharge…I have seen the visuals,the video footage. There was no clear visual of any lathi hitting anyone,” the Home Minister said.