Civil rights activist Anna Hazare on Sunday announced his decision to approach the Supreme Court to seek protection for his indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar from August 16 and against any action the government might intend to take to “crush” his agitation seeking the appointment of a Lokpal to deal with corruption-related cases.
Mr. Hazare told journalists that he would file a petition before the Supreme Court on Monday to seek its protection.
Mr. Hazare has given time till August 15 to the government to come up with a bill on the Lokpal and warned that if it turned out to be an eyewash, he would resume his indefinite fast from August 16. Earlier, he maintained that he would court arrest and go to jail if the police disrupted his indefinite fast.
He said he was seeking legal recourse to start his agitation in the wake of the “threat” that his agitation would be “crushed” the same way the government used the police to disrupt the indefinite fast of yoga guru Ramdev at Ramlila Maidan in June on the issue of corruption. “The government says it will crush my fast the same way that it crushed Baba Ramdev's agitation. Is this a democratically ruled country or dictatorship?” He said the government had no right to crush any agitation as the Constitution guaranteed the right to protest.
Mr. Hazare was one of the five civil society members on the Joint Drafting Committee on the Lokpal Bill, which concluded its proceedings on a discordant note with no consensus on contentious issues such as inclusion of the Prime Minister, judiciary and the entire bureaucracy and the MPs under the ambit of the Lokpal.
The government and the civil society members on the panel agreed to present their separate versions of the bill. But Mr. Hazare warned that if the bill was not introduced by August 15, he would resume his indefinite fast.
Mr. Hazare first started his indefinite fast in April which he called off after the government accepted his demand to set up a committee to look into his demand for setting up a Lokpal.
The government, after holding an all-party meeting, said it would introduce a bill in Parliament and revise it on the basis of the consensus that would evolve at the Parliamentary Standing Committee level for enacting the law.
Keywords: civil society actisit, Anna Hazare, Supreme Court, Ramlila crackdown, Baba Ramdev, Lokpal bill, anti-corruption movement
Mr. Ghouse, how can he raise an issue with the Parliament. Govt. is playing with the insecurities of few people and i think you are one of them. Its a very good and peaceful methodology adopted by Anna to keep any unwanted trouble at bay. And its surprising you dont find issue of corruption burning enough and also please don't be judgemental on being right minded or not.
Anna is absolutely right. We are free citizens, not the slaves. How Manmohan Sing's government can say that it will crush Anna's fast the same way that it crushed Baba Ramdev's agitation. We are free to oppose the corrupt government. Congress government's statement is an attack on liberty of Indian People. And we are not fools as Congress party is thinking. We will never forget the attack on people of Ramlila Medan.
Anna ji , don't talk vth govofficial. whole country is wth u.go ahead....we are followng your way
Here is a government whose ministers are under investigation on corruption charges. It is the government which ordered brutal attack of sleeping men and women disciples of Baba Ramdev.If Anna Hazare fears an attack by the police if he and his followers start a peaceful agitation against government's attitude towards empowering a Lokpal, it is for good reasons. On corruption at least the government should watch its every step. There is no denying the fact that no sensible person will consider the UPA government as one with honest intentions on eliminating corruption.
Anna has taken a massive steps to make India out of corruptions. If we can hold our money within India and bring back the Indian's money which is out of India, we can provide all kind of development ( education, food, health & culture)to the remote corner of our contry. All poor to poorest people of india would be happy.They will get a real freedom and joy of life. They can say again ' HAMARA BHARAT MOHAN' Its my requst to all the college going students, all the people of India , who loves our motherland, join with religiastically with Anna. We want a corruption free country.
While the apparent intent of Anna is laudable and worthy of emulation by those who want a good future for the citizens of this country, no Supreme Court any where in the world can give an assurance for police protection other than for physical security of the person(s).
No Supreme court guarantee can be given for continuity of an individual or mass action in a public place however peaceful without police regulation and control especially in the light of the security situation in the country.
No Supreme court can guarantee the continuity of a person's wish to go on a peaceful fast unto death as the government is obliged to order the person's hospitalisation if health deteriorates.
Freedom to protest cannot guarantee freedom to directly or indirectly create a potential for creating a law and order situation or potentially disrupt life anywhere let alone the nation's capital.
Anna must first target to enforce existing laws against known cases of political corruption and landgrab
It is ridiculous that Anna Hazare is indulging in cheap politics. What is the necessity of going for a fast instead of raising this issue in Parliament and get a proper draft suitable for the present and the future. All fasts have never gave any solution and it is only to embarass the government of the day and disturb the law and order situation. Any right thinking individual will not agree with Hazare's adamant nature to threaten the Government when there are so many burning issues to be tackled immediately. He is only trying to create a rift between the judiciary and the executive and the result is that the poor people will have to pay a prise for these selfish acts. I am sure the Supreme Court of India reject his petition and on the contrary warn him to approach the Govt or the Parliament again and find an amicable solution. When the so called Lok Ayuktas have failed misserably in their own states how come the Lokpal can be successful in his ambition of rooting out corruption.
It's a good preemptive move by Anna Hazare. I hope the judiciary issues the necessary warning to the government to not indulge in cowardly acts that are completely against the public will at this point. In a democratic system, an elected government is supposed to sense what the populace wants and act on their behalf. If the government fails to do so for whatever reason, they must, at least, allow the civil society to express it's desires in a peaceful manner as people are doing under Anna Hazare's leadership. History has repeatedly shown that if the legitimate wishes of a population are suppressed for too long, the consequences won't be pretty nor peaceful.
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