India Against Corruption

A-119, Kaushambi, Ghaziabad 201010, UP. indiaagainstcorruption.2010@gmail.com Ph: 09891148748, 09868219486 www.indiaagainstcorruption.org

Sushri Mayawati Ji, President, Bahujan Samaj Party, New Delhi

Respected Mayawati ji, During past one year people of the country had come onto the streets protesting against corruption. All demanded passage of Jan Lokpal Bill. But the government only betrayed the people at each step.

When fast started on 5 April, the govt. formed a joint drafting committee. But the Govt. reprsentatives in joint committee rejected all our main suggestions. From 16 August when fast was about to begin again for a strong and effective Lokpal Bill, Annaji with some of us were arrested and put in jail with the same persons against whose corruptions we were fighting! After coming out of jail, when Anna ji sat on indefinite fast at Ramleela ground, PM wrote a letter on 27 August, confirming that the parliament had resolved to accept to bring Citizens Charter and Lower Bureaucracy under the jurisdiction of Lokpal. The whole country watched the proceedings at the Parliament. PMs letter was also read from the stage and every one listened to it. Assured by the letter, the fast was ended.

However, the bill presented to the parliament did neither contain Citizens Charter nor cover Lower Bureaucracy. Such massive betrayal! Cheating the Parliament? If the Government commits such perfidy with the Parliament, what will be the future of the country and democracy? Ministers of the Govt. have repeatedly been saying that they are answerable to the Parliament. It appears from this that the Parliament is in the grips of the Govt. No one has any control over the Govt. For five years the Govt. is free to do anything it likes.

It is being said on behalf of the Govt. that the wordings of the resolution of the Parliament explicitly did not mention that Citizens Charter and Lower Bureaucracy to be brought within the jurisdiction of Lokpal. Did the Govt. then betray the whole country by play of words? Was the intention of the Govt questionable from that day? The country was, however, told that the three suggestions of Anna had been accepted.

The Prime Minister again informed by a letter dated 10 October that he is committed to a strong and effective bill. When the attention of the country was on the Parliament, the hallowed institution was again shamed. Because the Govt. was in majority in the Lok Sabha, none of the suggestions of the oppositions was accepted on 27 December. The Govt. was afraid that it would not be able to get its

bill passed in Rajya Sabha, so on 29 December even voting was not allowed to be conducted. Do you honestly accept that the bill presented, and even passed by the Lok Sabha misusing the majority, is really Strong and Effective? If not, then we request you to clarify the stand of your party on the following issues to the people:1. In Standing Committee your party did not practically oppose the Govt. Lokpal Bill; it appears that you are in support of the bill, which is not only weak and ineffective, but also dangerous. 2. During voting in the Lok Sabha, your party MPs walked out which helped the UPA to pass this dangerous bill; why was this done? However, in Rajya Sabha your party did not walk out and demanded that CBI be made independent. Can we expect that next time when this bill will come before the Parliament, your party will not walk out but will strongly oppose thisdangerous bill? 3. Uttarakhand Govt. has passed a strong and effective Lokayukta law. If your party forms the Govt. in Uttar Pradesh, will you pass a similar law in Uttar Pradesh? 4. Is this process of law making in our country correct? Dont you feel such important laws like Lokpal should be legislated with active participation of the people? Shouldnt such laws only be made after asking the people? Should bad and ineffective laws be imposed on the people? Constitution mentions Gram Sabha as the assembly of all eligible voters in a village. There is no such mention for cities. Mohallas can be constituted on similar lines in cities. Dont you think that these types of important laws should be made only after due consultation with Gram Sabhas and Mohallas? If your party forms the Govt. in Uttar Pradesh, will you institute these systems? 5. Maximum corruption today is in land acquisition. Productive land is snatched away from poor farmers at throw away prices and given to builders, property developers and companies. Black money is mostly invested in landed property. The Land Acquisition Act 1984 has become an effective tool to make the poor poorer and farmers unemployed a) Do you agree that this act should be repealed? b) Do you agree that no land should be acquired without prior permission of the affected Gram Sabhas? If your Govt. comes in Uttar Pradesh, will you bring such laws? Till such time, will there be an embargo on all land acquisitions? 6. In the five states where elections are to be held, you have given tickets to many persons who are either corrupt or under trial for criminal acts. What were your compulsions to do this? The above issues raised above are very important for elections in the five states. We shall be grateful if you give your reactions on them.

Yours (signatures) K.B. Hazare Shanti Bhusan Kiran Bedi Prashant Bhusan Arvind Kejriwal