Sharad Pawar quits ministers' panel in-charge of fighting corruption

New Delhi:  After he was criticised publically by Anna Hazare and other social activists for being part of a Group of Ministers (GoM) to check corruption in the government, Sharad Pawar has quit the panel.

Mr Pawar is Agriculture Minister and his Nationalist Congress Party is an important partner in the UPA coalition at the centre.

Veteran social activist Anna Hazare and his supporters  - now in the midst of a hectic campaign for a new law to fight corruption- had said that the fact that the government has entrusted  Mr Pawar along with other ministers like Kapil Sibal to deal with anti-corruption proves that the government is weak-willed. "So what if he has quit?" reacted 72-year-old Mr Hazare from Jantar Mantar in the Capital, which has become the base of his current movement. "One Pawar goes, another will come...our campaign will continue." (Read: Who is Anna Hazare)

Mr Hazare has completed the second day of what he describes as "a fast-unto-death" to push the government to introduce a bold new Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen's Ombudsman Bill) ; along with his supporters, Mr Hazare wants civil society to be included in the committee that will work on the new law. (Read: What is the Jan Lokpal Bill?)  

Thousands of people across the country are holding rallies and fasts to express their solidarity with Mr Hazare's campaign, India Against Corruption. 
  
"You say that your Group of Ministers are drafting the anti‐corruption law. Many of the members of this Group of Ministers have such a shady past that if effective anti-corruption systems had been in place, some of them would have been behind bars," Mr Hazare wrote to the Prime Minister.

Arvind Kejriwal, known for his work on the Right to Information Act, is also a key supporter of Mr Hazare's movement. "The PM refuses to set up a joint committee...he says our Group of Ministers will decide who will set up our anti-corruption law. Now the Group of Ministers include people like Sharad Pawar - he will draft our anti-corruption law! Moily - who drafted this weak law. Kapil Sibal - who does not see a scam in 2G. These are the people who are going to draft the anti-corruption draft of the country, isn't this an insult to the nation?" he said.

The Lokpal bill is meant to create posts of  Lokpal at the Centre, and Lokayukta in each state. They are meant to stop corruption among politicians and bureaucrats.

The government's version of the Lokpal Bill has been squarely rejected by Mr Hazare and his group of activists, who have united as an organization named India Against Corruption. (indiaagainstcorruption.org).

The group says that the bill continues to allow the government to decide which politicians and bureaucrats should be investigated, which defeats the point of the new law. (Read: Why Anna Hazare, others oppose govt's Lokpal Bill 2010)

The government has been urging Mr Hazare to give it more time to weigh his request for civil society's participation on the drafting of the new law.  

Mr Sibal said that while there are larger concerns about the precedent this would set - of moving legislation outside of parliament - the government has not rejected the idea. "They

wanted immediate decision by April 5, that was not possible. But we are ready to look into their demands," said Union Minister Kapil Sibal, who is part of the GoM on Lokpal Bill.

"I appeal to these civil society members to enlighten people. I appeal to their good sense to not to stall the dialogue but allow the dialogue to continue for a constructive approach," Mr Sibal added.