Patna, April 10: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today downplayed the four-day-long protest by social activist Anna Hazare for the Lokpal Bill.

The party claimed that his efforts were not enough to pass the bill immediately. However, the BJP said, it has certainly raised the issue of corruption and managed to garner mass support.

At a news meet at the BJP office today, state party president C.P. Thakur, said: “Anna Hazare’s effort is not enough and he stopped the protest after getting an assurance from the central government. Assurances will not help and it will take a long time to draft the Lokpal Bill. We are not against his protest rather we support it but it wasn’t effective enough. However, the BJP will continue its protest and its fight against corruption.”

He added: “We were hoping an immediate impact after the kind of mass support Anna received. It was evident that something will surely happen but finally the result was disappointing and nothing happened. Such kind of protests to draft the Lokpal Bill has not happened for the first time. Earlier, too, there were many leaders who chose the same path of protest but none of them were successful.”

When The Telegraph asked the state president that the Centre has promised to draft the bill in the next monsoon session, so how could he say that it would take a long time to draft the bill, Thakur said: “Just by saying it would be taken up in the next monsoon session, is not enough. The bill will be passed by the Parliament with unanimous decisions and the Parliament has its own procedures to clear a bill.”

He added: “It would not happen only by saying. When Anna was on a fast, why didn’t the government speak a word on corruption? Moreover, there is disparity among the supporters of the Lokpal Bill.”

On corruption, Thakur said: “Corruption is prevalent at every level and the magnitude of graft is large. It has become important to eliminate it from the roots so that it does not raise its head again. Only then inclusive growth can be achieved across the nation. What Anna did was awakening the people and somewhere the nation realised the ill effects of corruption.”

Slamming the Centre, Thakur said that the Congress is responsible for all corruptions and the party is the epicentre of all problems.

“Talk about 2G, Commonwealth Games, Adarsh Society scams, it’s the Congress members who are involved in all these scams,” Thakur said.

President of the BJP sports cell Arvind Kumar Singh said that the party would celebrate the birth anniversary of Babu Veer Kuwar Singh.

“A sports event dedicated to Babu Veer Kuwar Singh will be held on April 23. A marathon will be organised and the men’s group will start the run from Jagdeo Path to SK Memorial hall. Similarly, the women’s group will start the race from R-Block and will end at the same destination,” said Arvind Kumar Singh.

Seventy-one-year-old Anna Hazare ended his fast-unto death against corruption at 10.45am on April 9.