JAN LOK PAL: Hazare rejects police curbs, to go ahead with fast!

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K. Balchand, The Hindu / NEW DELHI, August 13, 2011.

ANNA STANDS FIRM: Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare addresses a press conference in New Delhi on Saturday. He alleged that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was creating an Emergency-like situation. Photo: R.V. Moorthy - The Hindu.

Delhi police: limit fast to three days and gathering to 5,000.

Spurning the conditions imposed by the Delhi Police on his proposed fast here from August 16, social activist Anna Hazare on Saturday sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He underlined his determination to go ahead with the agitation on the Lokpal issue, defying the government.

Objecting to the police restrictions on him and his associates, Mr. Hazare accused Dr. Singh of creating an Emergency-like situation and politicising the Delhi Police. “With what face will you hoist the tricolour on Independence Day after crushing fundamental rights of the people?”

Mr. Hazare told journalists that he wrote to the Prime Minister seeking his intervention soon after he had received a letter from the police asking him to submit an undertaking that the agitation would be limited to three days and that not more than 4,000-5,000 people would assemble at the Jayaprakash Narayan Park, venue of the protest.

The police made it clear that they would not give permission for Mr. Hazare's agitation until he gave an undertaking on 22 counts. Mr. Hazare ruled out his doing so.

Mr. Hazare and other social activists Shanti Bhushan, Kiran Bedi, Swami Agnivesh and Arvind Kejriwal said it would be their endeavour to reach the JP Park as scheduled, whether or not the police gave them permission, and they were prepared to face the consequences.

“We'll try to start the indefinite fast. If on our way to the Park they stop us, we'll sit at that place itself. Permission or not, we'll sit,” Mr. Kejriwal said, stressing that preparations at the Park would start on Sunday.

Responding to repeated queries, Mr. Hazare said it was quite likely that he would be arrested and released. “It is the same sequence that will follow. All of us will get arrested and released and we will sit on fast. This will continue. It will be the same process across the country. Young men will court arrest. How many of them will the government arrest?”

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