On Saturday, both Houses of Parliament passed a resolution expressing the House's support for the Lokpal Bill, marking a significant victory for Anna Hazare and his anti-corruption movement. The resolution, moved by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, was passed in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, signaling the government's commitment to the demands of Hazare's team. Following the passage of the resolution, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the session until Monday.
There had been some confusion over whether the resolution had been passed by a voice vote, but Speaker Meira Kumar clarified that the "thumping of desks" in the House was treated as approval by voice vote. Team Anna, led by Kiran Bedi, welcomed the resolution, which outlined key points such as the establishment of an effective Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states, bringing government employees under the purview of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas, and implementing citizen charters with timelines for all government departments.
A copy of the resolution, along with a letter from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, was sent to Anna Hazare, who had been on a hunger strike for 12 days in demand of the passage of the Jan Lokpal Bill. Initially, there was tension as the government had planned to convey the House's sense on the bill without a vote, but this decision was later reversed following resistance from Team Anna, who insisted on a vote. The activists regarded the change in stance as a victory in their long-standing battle for a strong anti-corruption law.