Govt,Team Anna busy in back channel talks

Breakthrough came when Anna expressed willingness to withdraw his fast after discussion on his Bill.

While Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh met Anna Hazare at Ramlila Maidan on Thursday,the government was engaged in hectic back channel talks with Team Anna,at various levels,for the last 24 hours.

The breakthrough came when Hazare expressed willingness to withdraw his fast after an immediate discussion on the Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament. However,some members of his team remained resolute on imposing rigid conditions for a solution.

Throughout the day,the government’s intermediaries Law Minister Salman Khurshid,Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit and Pawan Khera,political secretary to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit remained in touch with members of the Anna camp Arvind Kejriwal,Prashant Bhushan,Manish Sisodia and Sri Sri Ravi Shanker.

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While Swami Agnivesh was also in touch,sources said he had been sidelined by Team Anna. Significantly,Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan also spoke to Hazare on the phone last evening. Union MoS Milind Deora was also roped in after he established contact with a Hazare aide.

The opening came after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement in the Lok Sabha this morning assuring a discussion on all versions of the Lokpal Bill,following which a message was received that Hazare was willing to talk to a government representative. Sources said Chavans name was considered initially,but since he would have taken time to come from Mumbai,Deshmukh’s name was proposed to Hazare.

Deshmukh,who has known and developed an equation with Hazare since the time he was Maharashtra chief minister,met Hazare for about 15 minutes. He returned with the message that Hazare would lift the fast if the Jan Lokpal Bill particularly the inclusion of lower bureaucracy,a common bill for the centre and states,and the provision of a citizen’s charter in all government departments — was immediately discussed in Parliament.

Sources said Hazare did not insist on any written assurance from the Prime Minister. This was followed by a series of meetings within the government.

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The option of a debate in the Lok Sabha under Rule 184 which entails voting,or Rule 342 which allows discussion followed by a substantive motion to be approved by a vote,were under consideration. The language of the draft resolution was also being worked out.

The need for a vote,sources said,was to enable the sense of the House be taken on the Jan Lokpal Bill.