Hazare wants govt to appoint negotiator

Team Anna has said that the government should appoint a negotiator to hold talks with Anna Hazare on the Jan Lokpal Bill and withdraw its draft from Parliament to create "an atmosphere of trust" as the anti-graft fast entered the sixth day.
Swami Agnivesh, one of the members of Team Anna's core committee, said they were open for talks but the government should create an atmosphere for it.
"If the government wants to talk to us it should appoint a negotiator," he said.
"They have to create an atmosphere of trust by withdrawing the government bill from Parliament and introduce Jan Lokpal Bill. We will not budge from our stand. This is the least they should do to earn our trust," Agnivesh said.
To questions on "strong words" being used by both government and members of Team Anna, Agnivesh said it would be good if both sides desist from using "such phrases" which could lead to any kind of confrontation.
On the meeting between senior Maharashtra government official and Hazare, he said the official has known the Gandhian for a long time and he met him in his personal capacity.
Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is also the chairperson of the parliamentary standing committee that is examining the Lokpal Bill, yesterday said the panel is the ideal platform to discuss all aspects of the legislation.
Social activist Anna Hazare's associate Arvind Kejriwal Saturday contended that the government was using the committee as a shield.