First Lokpal panel meet begins in Delhi

New Delhi: The 10-member joint committee for drafting the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill began its first meeting Saturday morning here amid controversy over some of its members from civil society. 16/04/2011

The panel, comprising five ministers and five civil society representatives, began the meeting at 11.30 a.m.
The committee has two co-chairs, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and former law minister Shanti Bhushan. The panel was formed as a result of the 97-hour fast by social reformer Anna Hazare, demanding a stronger Lokpal Bill to tackle corruption.
Hazare arrived in the capital late Friday.
Even before the first meeting, the father-son duo of Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan who are among the civil society representatives had to fend off allegations. A CD was circulated that reportedly contained conversations between former law minister Shanti Bhushan, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and former SP leader Amar Singh.
A press conference called here Friday evening by the civil society leaders - addressed by committee members Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal - was dominated by questions on the CD instad of the agenda of Saturday's meeting.
Prashant Bhushan said the CD was a manipulated and should be sent for forensic examination. According to him, the CD appeared to be a collage of conversations made in different contexts.
Demanding a thorough inquiry into the issue, Shanti Bhushan said he has already filed an FIR in Delhi.
Prashant Bhushan also refuted allegations by Congress leader Digvijay Singh that he and his father had evaded stamp duty for a property in Allahabad.
"The fact that a person (Digvijay Singh) has raised this issue shows that there is a very organised and concerted attempt to smear members of civil society in the drafting committee with allegations like this," he said.