As he leaves for G-20 meet, pressure has once again started mounting on the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on the domestic front.
First came media reports on another letter said to have been written by the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, to Dr Singh on September 26, clarifying his stance on the controversial March 25 note on the 2G scam. The letter, flashed on television, says that the said note was issued at the insistence of the Cabinet Secretary and the Prime Minister's Office even though the Department of Economic Affairs was not in favour of doing so.
The Finance Ministry's 2G note had hinted that Mr P. Chidambaram could have prevented the scam by insisting on spectrum auction.
ANNA THREATENS FAST, AGAIN
This was followed by another letter by anti-corruption activist, Mr Anna Hazare. In his letter to Dr Singh on Monday, Mr Hazare has threatened to go on fast again “if the Government fails to pass a strong Lokpal Bill in the Winter Session of Parliament.” The session is scheduled to be held in the third week of this month.
In the letter, written on Monday, Mr Hazare said he had called off his 12-day fast at Delhi's Ramlila Grounds only after a written assurance was given by the Prime Minister.
“Through a letter delivered by Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, you had sought time till the Winter Session for a strong Lokpal Bill to be passed…. I put off my fast on this assurance. I did not visit the five states that went to polls on this assurance', he wrote.
Mr Hazare said if the Bill was not passed, he would begin his fast on the last day of the Winter Session, and his team would pan out across the country and intensify the anti-corruption campaign.
In a veiled threat to the Congress party, Mr Hazare said, “We will also visit the five States where Assembly elections are scheduled to be held next year. Without taking sides and naming any political party, we will ask people to vote for cleaner candidates.” Elections are coming up in UP, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur. Team Anna had actively campaigned against the Congress in the recent by-elections in Haryana.