Work on drafting the new Lokpal Bill will begin on April 16, social activist Mr Anna Hazare said. The proceedings would be made available to the entire country through video conferencing, he said at a press conference here on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Lokayukta, Mr Santosh Hegde, a member of the newly-appointed joint committee on Lokpal Bill, said that the Prime Minister should come under the purview of the anti-corruption measure.

“The Prime Minister should be included in the Bill and subjected to, if need be, to an investigation,” Mr Hegde, a former Supreme Court judge, said in Mangalore.

Asked if the Bill would wipe out corruption, Mr Hazare said he was hopeful that it would take care of 90 per cent of it. The rest 10 per cent could be tackled by the right to recall, he added.

He said if the Bill was not passed till this August 15, he would go on a fast again.

On the reported differences aired by Baba Ramdev, Mr Hazare said, “I spoke to Baba Ramdev. I will touch his feet and ask him to forget differences in national interest.”

Baba Ramdev had alleged “dynastic tendencies” in the selection of Shanti Bhushan and his son Prashant Bhushan in the joint drafting committee. However, later, he is said to have backtracked and blamed the media.

Asked if members of the civil society would also declare their assets and liabilities, Mr Hazare said he supported such a move. “We will discuss this in the committee,” he added.

On leaving corporates out from the ambit of the Bill, RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal said since bribe-taking and giving both were instances of corruption, corporates would not be spared either.

The 72-year old social activist said he was not against support from politicians for his movement, but would not allow any politician to share the dais.

He said he would soon launch a national organisation which would work for decentralisation of political power.

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