Prakash Karat

New Delhi, Aug. 19: The Left today took a leaf out of Anna Hazare’s book to demand withdrawal of the government’s Lokpal bill, and announced countrywide protests with allies on August 23 to try and reconnect with the masses.

But its hopes of coordinating the anti-government campaign with the BJP suffered a setback of sorts with the main Opposition party saying it would not join the Left-sponsored protest but hold its own demonstrations from tomorrow.

“The government’s bill is inadequate and ineffective to fight corruption. Let them bring a new bill,” CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said.

Sitting beside him, CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan nodded: “They can withdraw the bill.”

Karat, however, took care not to back the Hazare group’s “Jan Lokpal bill” though he did not reject it, either, and even underlined how the Gandhian’s movement was receiving wide public support.

Asked whether he supported the bill’s Hazare version, he said: “We did not discuss the Jan Lokpal. We only considered the government’s bill and unanimously felt it was ineffective.”

Karat said the decision was taken “unanimously” at a meeting of nine parties: the four Left parties, Telugu Desam Party, Biju Janata Dal, Rashtriya Lok Dal, AIADMK and the Janata Dal (Secular).

He said a new bill was necessary because the few amendments proposed by the standing committee would not serve the purpose.

To a question, he said: “If the BJP supports the demand for a stronger Lokpal in Parliament, it will be good. It will put more pressure on the government to have an effective law.”

Inside the CPM, though, the leadership’s desperation to latch on to the Anna bandwagon found critics. “The party upholds the supremacy of Parliament to enact laws; so why is it joining forces with (those) slamming the entire political system?” a leader said.

Those close to Karat argued that the mass support for Hazare reflected the popular mood and asserted the party was right in aligning with this sentiment. “It will help us reconnect with the masses”, a leader said.

Another party insider, however, doubted the wisdom of launching a movement against corruption with parties whose record on probity is questionable.

“What is the record of the JD(S) and AIADMK on corruption?” he said, citing JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy, whose name figures in the Karnataka Lokayukta’s report on illegal mining.

Asked about this after the news conference, Karat ducked the question and hid behind the Left parties’ record. “The Left has the best record in fighting corruption,” he said.

BJP lone furrow

The BJP will stage demonstrations in state capitals and district headquarters from Saturday, without engaging even its allies: the Janata Dal (United), Shiv Sena and Akali Dal.

Its slogan — “Wipe out corruption and save democracy” — will combine the two issues to highlight the UPA’s scams and its denial of the right to protest to Hazare, a party official said.

He said the BJP had rejected Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav’s proposal for a “Bharat bandh” on August 23, nor would it join the Left-led protests on that day.

Apparently, the BJP’s chief ministers had argued that a bandh would disrupt public services and hurt the state exchequers, and that the party should protest in its own way instead of being bound by a common programme.

Sharad had mooted the bandh idea yesterday, pitching it as a replica of the “successful” July 2010 programme to protest rising prices. He had offered to try and bring the Left and its allies on board to convey a message of “Opposition unity”.

The BJP was initially open to the idea, hoping a joint bandh could be another step in shedding its political “untouchability”. But this evening, sources said, Sharad was “surprised” when Telugu Desam chief Chandrababu Naidu informed him that the Left and its allies had announced their own programme.

Yadav decided to jettison his efforts at Opposition unity and the BJP too decided to go along with its chief ministers’ advice.