Anna fast enters 5th day; awaits Govt call for dialogue
Anna Hazare’s fast demanding a strong Lokpal entered the fifth day on Saturday with his Team saying they were ready to talk to the government but no such communication channels have been opened.
Mr. Hazare came to the podium at around 10 a.m. as supporters started pouring in Ramlila Maidan where he launched his protest on Friday after coming out of Tihar Jail.
The 73-year-old anti-corruption crusader alleged the funds in government treasuries were being threatened not by thieves but from those guard it and the country is being threatened by these traitors.
“Why should we fight? The funds in government treasuries are ours. The treasuries are not threatened by thieves but by those who guards it. The country is not betrayed by enemies but by these traitors,” the social activist said.
He said he has lost three-and-half kg in the last four days. “I feel a little weak. But there is nothing to worry about it. The fight will go on till we get a strong Lokpal,” Mr. Hazare said in his brief address to the gathering.
'Ready to talk to Govt'
His close associate Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia said the Team was ready to talk to the government on the issue of Lokpal Bill but no one has approached them.
“We are ready to talk to the government but there is no communication from their side. Where should we go to talk and whom should we talk to?” Mr. Kejriwal and Mr. Sisodia said.
Mr. Hazare had on Friday raised the political stakes by giving a deadline to the government to pass the Jan Lokpal bill by August 30 failing which he would continue his fast “till my last breath”.
On deadline
On the deadline, former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan said the government can pass it within days if it has a “strong will” to do it.
“It can happen. I have been a Union Law Minister and I know how things happen in government,” he told the gathering.
Asked whether the deadline was a little impractical, Mr. Kejriwal told reporters, “If the government desires, it can pass 15 bills in five minutes. But for the anti-corruption bill, they are taking more than 42 years. So we want to know how many more years will they take?”
The government version encourages corruption and saves the corrupt, Mr. Kejriwal alleged and demanded that the Lokpal Bill introduced in Parliament be “rejected completely” and the Jan Lokpal Bill be replaced by it.
'Waste of time'
Reacting to the newspaper advertisements seeking suggestions from public on Lokpal Bill, Mr. Kejriwal said it appeared to be an exercise which will waste the time of people and Parliamentarians.
“We appeared before the Standing Committee earlier and told them that the present bill is actually for promotion of corruption and save the corrupt people. It ends up in targeting those who complain against corruption,” he said.
Mr. Kejriwal said they had urged the Standing Committee to reject the bill and send it back to Parliament. “It is wasting precious time on a wrong and faulty bill,” he said.
“This seeking of feedback is basically to divert attention,” he said.
Asked about some MPs, including BJP’s Varun Gandhi, planning to introducing Jan Lokpal Bill as private bills, he said private bills do not achieve much.
Earlier in the morning, police conducted extensive searches in the Maidan to ensure that no suspicious objects were planted there.
supporters:
in ahmedabad
supporters in mumbai
‘Anna to come out only if allowed to fast without conditions’
PTI Supporters of social activist Anna Hazare protest at the gate of the Tihar Jail in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Anna Hazare and his team were in discussions with the government and police on Wednesday over the venue of his fast after he comes out of Tihar.
After meeting Mr. Hazare, lawyer Prashant Bhushan told the crowd of supporters outside the jail that the Gandhian would come out of jail only if he is allowed to fast without conditions.
Mr. Bhushan said government and police were discussing with Mr. Hazare and his aides options of fast venue — J.P. Park or Ramlila Maidan — where he could launch his fight for a strong Lokpal Bill.
He said if conditions are imposed, then Mr. Hazare will continue with his fast inside the jail.
He also told the crowd that people of Delhi have been asked to come to India Gate for a march to Jantar Mantar in support of Jan Lokpal and fight against corruption.
Mr. Hazare had earlier sought permission from Tihar Jail authorities for a meeting with some of his top associates to plan his strategy.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Bhushan, Kiran Bedi, Medha Patkar, Manish Sisodia and Swami Agnivesh. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ashok Chand was also present at the meeting.
Mr. Hazare also met Sri Sri Ravishankar and yoga guru Baba Ramdev in the prison.
Mr. Hazare, who was ordered to be released on Tuesday night after a day-long detention before he was to begin his fast demanding a strong Lokpal, had refused to come out of the prison unless he was allowed to protest from J.P. Park without conditions.
Earlier, Ms. Bedi and Swami Agnivesh announced to the hundreds of supporters waiting since last night that the 74-year-old Gandhian was about to come out of the prison anytime now.
“The government has bowed down. We will have to be prepared to go to J.P. Park in a peaceful manner,” Swami Agnivesh said.
Solidarity with Anna
Ms. Bedi, Swami Agnivesh and Ms. Patkar joined hundreds of protestors on Wednesday expressing solidarity with Mr. Hazare outside Tihar while a large number of the Gandhian’s supporters took out marches across the city.
Mr. Hazare’s supporters in huge numbers also gathered outside Chhatrasal Stadium, which was converted into a special detention area on Wednesday morning and shouted anti-corruption slogans demanding that the Gandhian be allowed to protest at J.P. Park.
Ms. Bedi, who was detained on Tuesday and released later, and Swami Agnivesh arrived outside Tihar at around 11.30 a.m. where a swarm of protestors had gathered since Tuesday night to express solidarity with Mr. Hazare.
Ms. Patkar, who reached the protest spot early in the day, was granted permission to meet Mr. Hazare after being initially refused to enter the premises.
Ms. Patkar approached jail authorities seeking permission to meet Mr. Hazare, who was lodged in the administrative block after he refused to be released, but was initially denied. However, later the authorities changed their stand and allowed her.
After the permission was denied, Ms. Patkar claimed that jail authorities told her that Mr. Hazare was not in their custody and could not allow her to meet him. “It was a right to meet a man in jail. They told me that he is not in their custody and he is not a jail bird. Nobody could be given permission. This is a conspiracy of the government. They are not tolerating any basic rights,” she said addressing the protestors gathered outside Tihar Jail.
At Chhatrasal Stadium, scores of people holding tricolour marched on the tracks while others lent support to them from outside.
Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravishankar join protesters at Tihar jail:
Yoga guru Ramdev and the Art of Living Foundation head Sri Sri Ravishankar on Wednesday joined protestors expressing solidarity with Anna Hazare outside Tihar Jail.
Baba Ramdev, with whom Mr. Hazare and his associates have differences due to his alleged links with Hindutva elements, reached Tihar Jail on Wednesday afternoon.
Earlier, Baba Ramdev submitted a memorandum against Mr. Hazare’s arrest to President Pratibha Patil.
Addressing protesters, Baba Ramdev termed Mr. Hazare’s arrest as a “conspiracy in the name of democracy”.
“Anna is fighting for a strong Lokpal and his dream will be fulfilled. The whole country and all patriotic countrymen are with him in this struggle,” he said.
Activists Kiran Bedi, Swami Agnivesh and Medha Patkar had earlier joined hundreds of protestors while a large number of the Gandhian’s supporters took out marches across the city.
Hazare refuses to leave jail, opposes time limit on fast
PTI STANDS FIRM: Social activist Anna Hazare continues his fast in the Tihar Jail in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Police agreeable to shifting venue to Ramlila Grounds, lift all but one condition
Faced with nationwide protests and slammed by a united Opposition in Parliament over the detention of social activist Anna Hazare, the government went into damage control mode on Wednesday, agreeing to lift all but one condition for the anti-corruption crusader's fast on the Lokpal Bill issue. The condition — restriction on the number of days of fast — remained a stumbling block to Mr. Hazare coming out of jail. Late in the evening a doctor visited him for a check-up, now that he had been on fast for almost two days.
Following daylong negotiations, the Delhi Police lifted the restriction on the number of protesters and cars, and allowed use of loudspeakers till 10 p.m. at the protest site. It also agreed to the shifting of the fast venue to the Ramlila Grounds that can accommodate huge numbers.
The police initially allowed a seven-day agitation, which was later extended to three weeks. This condition was rejected by Mr. Hazare and his team of negotiators, including Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan, Swami Agnivesh, Kiran Bedi and Medha Patkar. Having declared an indefinite fast, Mr. Hazare wanted no time frame.
Team Anna is agitating for a revised, effective and comprehensive Lokpal Bill that will provide for setting up Lokayuktas in States, and cover the lower bureaucracy, the Prime Minister, the higher judiciary and public grievances to deal with day-to-day corruption.
“The huge outpouring of public support has made the government see sense in at least allowing the fast to be held at a larger venue. They have realised that the Jayaprakash Narayan Park cannot accommodate so many people and have agreed to shift the venue to the Ramlila Grounds,” Mr. Bhushan told The Hindu.
The damage control exercise began early in the day with Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh announcing that Mr. Hazare was free to go anywhere but he must discuss his fast programme with the Delhi Police. Since then there had been hourly reports of the activist coming out of jail but that did not happen.
The issue was discussed in both Houses after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh explained the government's point of view in a statement.
People of all hues thronged the gates of the Tihar jail that became an impromptu venue of the agitation. Baba Ramdev and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar visited Mr. Hazare in jail. They reported that he was continuing with his fast and was cheerful.
By evening, responding to a call by Team Anna, hundreds of people, predominantly students, marched from India Gate to Jantar Mantar here. Large-scale protests were reported from Mumbai, Bangalore, Secunderabad, Indore, Bhubaneswar and Chennai.
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