Speaking on the slogan Bhrastachar Mitao, Loktantra Bachao (Weed Out Corruption, Save Democracy) rally party general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said the Lokpal should cover everyone, from a patwari to the Prime Minister, Army to corporate houses and the judiciary. People should try hard to achieve this objective.

He called upon people to intensify the crusade for a strong anti-graft Lokpal Bill and press the government to overturn the economic policies tailored to serve the interests of capitalists and corporates, restore people’s ownership on jal, jungle, zamin and protect the democratic rights of the people.

Commenting on the Nitish government's “war on corruption” he said the state government was staging a drama by citing examples of confiscation of ill-gotten property of state employees. But its draft Bihar Lokayukta Bill 2011 gives power to the chief minister to control the selection and investigation processes.

Hitting out at the former deputy Prime Minister and BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani he said BJP chief ministers of Karnataka and Uttrakhand had to quit on graft charges. The CPI ML leader said that by flagging off Advani’s Jan Chetna Yatra, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar insulted the legacy of the JP‘s movement.

Bhattacharya and other party leaders appeared confident at the turn out for the rally even though the CPI ML was completely wiped out in the last year’s Assembly election. He claimed that the CPI-ML had strong backing of farmers and workers. He said law alone would not wipe out corruption. Political and economic policies, which mortgaged jal, jungle, zamin to capitalists, are at the root of this menace.

He said the people’s struggle would be intensified to change these policies.

When Bhattacharya said that Bihar’s progress could not be achieved on the strength of ads and bureaucracy the crowd roared and clapped.

He asked as to what had happened to the state government’s promise to provide subsidized foodgrains to 1.5 crore BPL families on its own strength. The promise of homestead land to the poor also remains unfulfilled. There is no power but power tariff is being hiked. The government should quit if it cannot fulfil its promises.

He said the BJP was turning Bihar into a laboratory of feudal and communal forces. It derailed land reforms in the state. He held the BJP responsible for the police firing on backward Muslims in Forbesganj in Araria district.

Opposing the proposed central bill on land acquisition, he demanded that farm land, forests and mineral deposits be kept out of its purview. Instead of land acquisition bill the country needs a land conservation law, he stated.

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