Social activist Anna Hazare will fast for three days in Mumbai and return to Delhi to stage a dharna outside the house of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to begin the countrywide jail bharo andolan .
“Anna and his supporters will fast in Mumbai on December 27, 28 and 29. After that, he will end his fast and go to Delhi. In Mumbai, we will stage dharna outside MPs' houses and get arrested,” Mayank Gandhi, coordinator of India Against Corruption (IAC), said at a press conference here on Wednesday.
Anna's supporters, however, are having a tough time with logistics in the island city where open space is in short supply.
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Having appealed to the State government for assistance, the IAC now plans to go to court.
Petition to be filed
The organisation will file a petition in the next two days “to secure our right to protest,” the IAC said.
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“The cost of using the ground for three days of the andolan , and for one day each before and after for the arrangements, comes to Rs. 10,26,000. With service tax it is Rs. 11,31,678. Above all this is a deposit of Rs.7,69,500. All this is immediately payable. [The official] policy does not allow for any concession. Anna ji has said that he is not ready to be party to this cost since it is a public andolan for and by the citizens, irrespective of who offers to pay it. He says it is our constitutional right to protest and the government must accommodate us,” the organisation said.
“Anna called us and said that he does not want to do a five-star andolan . Some donors have come forward, but we have not accepted anyone's assistance,” Mr. Gandhi said.