Team Anna on Friday blamed the Rajya Sabha Chairman, Mr Hamid Ansari, for the Lokpal Bill debate fiasco on Thursday.
At a press conference in Ghaziabad, the former Law Minister and Team Anna member, Mr Shanti Bhushan, criticised Mr Ansari's decision to adjourn the House sine die.
“It was clear that majority of members wanted to continue proceedings…and were even ready to sit through the night. The House is always run as per the sense of the House...I think he did the wrong thing,” he said.
Mr Bhushan said “Being the Chair of the House, he should have done what the majority wanted.”
Later, in a statement, Team Anna alleged that, “Speakers were allowed to give lengthy speeches to kill time. And then taking shelter behind procedures, Parliament was adjourned sine die at midnight without voting.”
Team Anna said it stood vindicated as the manner in which the Government orchestrated the disruption of the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha yesterday and prevented a vote on the Opposition's amendments exposed the hollowness of its claim that it is committed to an effective anti-corruption legislation.
“The Bill brought and passed in the Lok Sabha by the Government is a cruel joke on the people,” it said.