New Delhi, June 16 (PTI): Anna Hazare today threatened to go on hunger strike from August 16 alleging “backtracking” on Lokpal bill but the government refused to yield, saying it cannot allow creation of a “parallel” structure.

Amidst hardening of positions by both sides, the government made it clear that it would come out with a “strong and sound” draft of Lokpal bill by June 30 irrespective of whether civil society activists cooperate.

A day after talks in the joint drafting committee on Lokpal bill got deadlocked, Hazare accused the government of having no intention to enact a strong anti-corruption law and that it had “backtracked” on the promises that it will agree to all the suggestions forwarded by the civil society members.

Hazare, whose hunger strike in April had evoked nationwide response, said he will undertake an indefinite fast from August 16 if a diluted legislation is brought.

Shortly after a press conference by Hazare and his team, ministers in the drafting committee, P. Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal and Salman Khurshid, hit back at the civil society, making it clear that the government will not succumb to threats.

“You cannot threaten and negotiate at the same time. This is not the way forward. The government is not going to get diverted by abuses and slander,” HRD minister Sibal said.

Home minister Chidambaram said: “I don’t think anywhere in the world, fasting is the way to draft a bill.”

He asserted that many of the demands of the Hazare team cannot be accepted because a structure parallel to the government cannot be allowed.

“We cannot create a parallel government outside the government that controls every action of the government. We have serious differences on the issue,” Sibal said.

Chidambaram maintained that the basic features of the Constitution cannot be altered and political processes have to be respected.