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?”
Mr. Hazare said it was up to the government to stop them from undertaking the fast. “We are ready to bear lathis and bullets. But we'll launch the agitation. If force is applied, the people will retort. I'm sure the people will stand up and teach the government a lesson.”
In his letter, Mr. Hazare told Dr. Singh that the attempts to crush the voices raised against corruption had increased under his tenure, and regretted that the U.S. had taken advantage of his faulty action to meddle in India's internal affairs.
While expressing the hope that the Prime Minister would respond to his letter, Mr. Hazare maintained that the issue would be resolved within three days once the people mounted pressure as they did in April. He said he had given up his fast then having faith in the government. “But it stabbed me in the back. Had I wanted, I could have said ‘accept all my demands then itself'. Instead, I agreed for a dialogue. Now after a month and half, they are not even willing to give me a place to launch an agitation.”
Mr. Hazare said his demand was that the government come up with the right Lokpal Bill and allow Parliament to decide on that. “I'll accept whatever they say,” he said, underlining his faith in the parliamentary process.
