Team Anna to support 'strong' Lokpal Bill: Agnivesh

Stressing that the UPA government must discuss the draft of the Lokpal Bill in Parliament early next month during the monsoon session, social activist Swami Agnivesh today said team Anna would support the Centre if it introduces a "strong" draft of the proposed law.

"We hope that the government would put up the draft in the first week of August. We will support the UPA government's move. If the government does not introduce the bill as we have proposed, under leadership of Anna (Hazare) a movement will be started across the country to put moral pressure and peoples' pressure on the government," he said.

Agnivesh also urged the people of Assam to recall their representatives from Parliament if they fail to take up for discussion the draft prepared by team Anna.

"If the government does not introduce the bill as we have proposed, then I appeal to the people of Assam to recall through a peaceful movement the people they have sent as their representatives to Parliament," he said.

"Otherwise, hundreds of communications will be sent daily through phones, emails and letters to educate the peoples' representatives vis-a-vis the Lokpal Bill," Agnivesh said.

Alleging that there was "mega corruption" in the construction of dams in Assam in which political leaders were involved, Agnivesh promised to take to the rest of the country and at the international level the concerns of the people here about the coming up of big dams in the state.

He also said a campaign would be launched for "village parliaments" in each of the seven lakh villages across the country.

"We, on behalf of the people, want to tell the members of Parliament that the people are supreme and not they. The MPs should realise they are the peoples' servants and should not think they are greater than the people," Agnivesh said.