New Delhi, May 30 (IANS) Amid widening differences with the civil society activists on the Lokpal bill and plans by yoga guru Swami Ramdev to sit on a fast to press for bringing back illegal money stashed in foreign banks, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) met here Monday to take stock of the situation.
The CCPA meeing lasting about two hours and was chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Official sources said the meeting was held in view of Swami Ramdev’s planned ‘satyagraha’ (agitation) from June 4 for bringing back money stashed abroad and in support of a strong Lokpal Bill.
They said the meeting is understood to have discussed the possibility of deputing a minister to talk to Swami Ramdev and persuade him not to go ahead with the planned fast.
A satyagraha led by social activist Anna Hazare in April had led to the government to concede the demand for a joint drafting committee on the Lokpal bill.
The followers of Swami Ramdev have started mobilising people for his anti-corruption movement which will begin at Ramlila grounds here.
The government had Saturday formed a committee chaired by the Central Board of Direct Taxes chief to suggest ways of strengthening anti-money laundering laws and recovering black money parked in overseas banks.
A senior official had also apprised Ramdev of initiatives taken by the government to fight graft.
The CCPA is also believed to have discussed the deliberations of Monday’s meeting of Lokpal Bill drafting committee.
Differences have cropped up between the government and the social activisits in the joint panel on provisions of the proposed bill, including on issues such as bringing the prime minister and the Supreme Court within the bill’s ambit. The civil society activists later said they will resume their agitation if the government does not accept some of their core demands on the bill.
