Referendum on Lokpal Bill gets big thumbs up

NAGPUR: Nagpurians turned up in large numbers to cast their vote at Sai Baba temple on Thursday for the passage of the Lokpal Bill. The referendum started at 5:30am and until midday had more than 3,000 supporters, an official said.
Anil Ajantiwalay, a volunteer, told TOI, "Until afternoon, two ballot boxes were already full. We will continue this until 10:30pm.We have also taken the initiative to inform and educate people about Lokpal Bill as some did not know about it."
He also said that high public participation is a big motivation as the crusade against corruption is a tough fight. "Youngsters also showed enthusiasm to learn about the Bill, which, quite simply, says that everybody is equal before the law and it applies to all," he added. This referendum will continue until July 29.
Volunteers said that more than 95% people wanted all government officials, politicians, judicial officers and even the prime minister to be brought under the ambit of this law.
A youth said, "We have high hopes on effective implementation of the Lokpal Bill. The establishment of Lokayukta for each state will be useful to tackle corruption even on a smaller level."
"Many have also offered their support for participating in an indefinite hunger strike from August 16 with Anna Hazare. The fight against corruption is spreading like fire and the government cannot ignore the vote of the populace," he averred.
Prabhakar Warthi, another volunteer said that previous acts against corruption have failed miserably. "We need a reliable and strong implementation of the law opposing corruption. The protests at RBI Square during Anna Hazare's hunger strike received a tremendous response from the youth. Rven on Thursday, youngsters have shown active participation but, surprisingly, adults are apprehensive about the issue and think of it as a publicity stunt," he said.
"Some do consider this as another way to gain political mileage," he said. "But the truth is that this law will bring transparency in the political system."