NEW DELHI - Amidst high drama on Thursday night during the debate on Lokpal (anti-graft) Bill, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die by Chairman Hamid Ansari and the bill was not even put to vote.
This is being seen to be a complete embarrassment to the ruling government who is said to be put in corner. Shocking scenes were witnessed in the Upper House of Parliament close to midnight when RJD member Rajniti Prasad tore a copy of Lokpal Bill and threw it in the Well of Rajya Sabha.
The test of the bill was always going to be in the Upper House as the government did not have the numbers there.
The Opposition hit out hard at the government saying that the government did not want the Lokpal Bill to be put to vote as it would be a loss of face to them. “The government ran away from the Parliament today. This will go as the black day in the history of Indian democracy.”
Another UPA ally raised objections to a provision in the Lokpal Bill for setting up of Lokayuktas in States — albeit in a different context. National Conference MP Mohammed Shafi raised questions over inclusion of Held Kashmir despite Article 370, which grants special status to the State.
Shafi said while an exception was made for the State in Whistleblowers Bill, no such exception was made in the Lokpal Bill. “If Whistleblowers Bill is not applicable on Held Kashmir, why is Lokpal Bill applicable in the State?”  Earlier, the anti-corruption campaigner Anna Hazare has called off his hunger strike, as the ‘’toothless’’ anti-corruption bill he is protesting against passed the lower house of parliament, only to meet with fierce opposition in the upper house.
Mr Hazare, his health failing, also abandoned his ‘’jail bharo’’ plan to fill India’s prisons with protesters Friday after a lukewarm turnout to his rally this week.