For over three months now, the Government's position on the Lokpal issue has been quite unclear. During this period, the situation has gradually got out of control with the Anna Hazare camp insisting on one — and only one — thing, namely the unconditional passage of their version of the Lokpal Bill and the Government careening like a drunken driver who has lost all control. The country and the world have been subjected to some amazing sights and ineptitude. Overall, the Government's credibility has been eroded beyond repair and has led not only to calls by the Opposition for the Prime Minister's resignation but also, by some people, for a general election. Unnerved by the goings-on and its own gross incompetence, the Congress has been muttering darkly about the absence of its President, Ms Sonia Gandhi.

Finally, however, thanks to the intervention in Parliament made by the party's second most important spokesperson and General-Secretary, Mr Rahul Gandhi, the country now has a better idea of how the Government is thinking about the issue. The burden of Mr Gandhi's song, which lasted about 15 minutes, was that the Government would not allow itself to be bullied. Towards this end, he made three important observations. First, he said, since corruption was intimately linked to the problem of funding political parties and elections, Government funding of the two was essential. This is an old chestnut that has been chewed over many times with no consensus on just how to allocate the money across different claimants. There is no reason to believe that it is a solvable problem. Second, he said, the Lokpal would have to be accountable to Parliament, which means it would have to be a constitutional authority. This requires an amendment to the Constitution, which is a long drawn out process — except, of course, during an Emergency. Third, he said, just one law was not enough to tackle the problem of corruption. This means a comprehensive reform of so many laws that, once again, the time horizon stretches almost indefinitely. The country has seen how difficult it has been to reform the financial sector, where so many changes are needed to so many different laws that the Government has had to set up a semi-permanent body to come up with all the legislative changes that are needed.

Thus, Mr Gandhi has made clear the essence of the Government's response: we will not be bulldozed into passing an ill-conceived law. No one was expecting such a firm stand which, in some ways, dilutes the Prime Minister's assurances on Thursday. He had promised a debate on all three versions of the Bill. Little wonder, then, that the Hazare camp is saying that that the Government has no credibility. Mr Gandhi has, for all intents and purposes, told Anna Hazare and his supporters to take a walk. That they will, but in which direction?

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