New Delhi: Toughening its stand against Anna Hazare, the Congress Working Committee on Friday told the Government not to appear weak and succumb to pressures from the "self-appointed representatives" of civil society.
The first meeting of the reconstituted top policy making body of the party was of the view that the government should not be accepting demands of such groups as it will open a pandora's box in the democratic polity which has hues of opinions.
"The politics of pressure is not correct nor was the attitude of my way or the high way" was the thrust of the 100-minute deliberations at the meet in a signal to Hazare, who has announced an indefinite fast from August 16 if a strong Lokpal bill is not passed by Parliament by that time.
The CWC meeting presided by party chief Sonia Gandhi with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by her side, however, left the tricky issue of bringing the Prime Minister under the ambit of Lokpal to the all party meeting scheduled on July 3.
Congress will also bring out a booklet giving party's detailed response on the Lokpal issue before the July 3 all party meeting, it was decided at the CWC also attended by Rahul Gandhi.
"There was a general view that it will not to be correct to concede demands, whenever a motley group of four to five persons start making demands that contrary to the Constitution. Any demand that hurts the democratic polity cannot be accepted," AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters after the meeting.
He added that Congress will support "whatever the government decides in consultation with various political parties" when asked about the party's view on bringing the Prime Minister under Lokpal's ambit.
The first meeting of the reconstituted top policy making body of the party was of the view that the government should not be accepting demands of such groups as it will open a pandora's box in the democratic polity which has hues of opinions.
"The politics of pressure is not correct nor was the attitude of my way or the high way" was the thrust of the 100-minute deliberations at the meet in a signal to Hazare, who has announced an indefinite fast from August 16 if a strong Lokpal bill is not passed by Parliament by that time.
The CWC meeting presided by party chief Sonia Gandhi with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh by her side, however, left the tricky issue of bringing the Prime Minister under the ambit of Lokpal to the all party meeting scheduled on July 3.
Congress will also bring out a booklet giving party's detailed response on the Lokpal issue before the July 3 all party meeting, it was decided at the CWC also attended by Rahul Gandhi.
"There was a general view that it will not to be correct to concede demands, whenever a motley group of four to five persons start making demands that contrary to the Constitution. Any demand that hurts the democratic polity cannot be accepted," AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters after the meeting.
He added that Congress will support "whatever the government decides in consultation with various political parties" when asked about the party's view on bringing the Prime Minister under Lokpal's ambit.
