Talks only with Centre's representative or Manmohan: Team Anna!

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Gargi Parsai, The Hindu / NEW DELHI, August 22, 2011.

Policemen removing supporters of Anna Hazare, who were sitting at a protest outside the residence of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi on Monday. Photo:R.V. Moorthy - The HIndu.

As Anna Hazare's fast enters the seventh day, his aides said they ‘cannot leave the government free to help corrupt people.' Anna rejects note brought by Maharashtra bureaucrat.

Scotching rumours that social activist Anna Hazare would talk only to the Prime Minister or Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, Team Anna members said they were open to dialogue with any authorised representative of the government or the Prime Minister.

“The Prime Minister has said there could be discussions but so far we have not received any concrete proposal from the government, nor has any initiative been taken by him or anybody else. There have been some informal feelers but nothing concrete has emerged,'' core member of Mr. Hazare's team, Arvind Kejriwal, told The Hindu.

As Mr. Hazare's indefinite fast entered the seventh day on Monday, his supporters courted arrest outside the house of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Delhi's Chief Minister Sheila Dixit and other political leaders to press their demand for an amended Lokpal Bill in Parliament by August 30.

Decrying the arrests, Team Anna said the protesters, who were carrying flowers, should have been heard out instead of being arrested.

There were concerns at Mr. Hazare's health on Monday as he did not address even once the multitude of people who poured into Ramlila grounds, the venue of his protest. The anti-corruption crusader was seen lying down through the better part of the day.

On Monday Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravishankar offered to mediate with the government. Earlier Maharashtra bureaucrat U.C. Sarangi had brought a note from the government, which was promptly rejected by Team Anna as it was “nothing new.''

    

“The note brought by Mr. Sarangi was nothing but a repeat of the provisions of the Lokpal Bill,'' said Mr. Kejriwal.

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