MANY OBSERVERS as well as the legislators felt that it was a well-orchestrated event, wonderfully stage managed by the top brasses of the Congress party. But – a question arises: if Anna had not called off his hunger strike, would the result have been any different? Did UPA II take advantage of Anna’s withdrawal?

As it stands now - for all practical purposes, the Lokpal Bill, which was supposed to be a major tool to act as a deterrent to corruption in society, has gone into cold storage. Apparently, the leaders who sit in judgment in Delhi are afraid that the enactment of such a Bill would put their future in jeopardy.

Rumors have it that the UPA II was not able to garner the requisite numbers to go for a vote in the House. Therefore, they decided to resort to delaying tactics so that the deadline of midnight was crossed – thereby, the House was adjourned sine-die.

Kiran Bedi, a member of Team Anna team has flayed the government of inaction and of inadequate homework and hinted that it was an intentional shelving of the Bill – the present government is not keen to enact the Bill. She does have a point because, pushing the debate on the Bill to the last day of the winter session of Rajya Sabha indirectly implied that, there was no intention to take it seriously.