The Delhi Police have denied permission to Team Anna to hold an indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar here from July 25 on the issue of Jan Lokpal Bill and investigation into corruption charges against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his 14 Cabinet colleagues.
“We had applied for the permission a month ago and got a letter from the Delhi Police today [Thursday] afternoon refusing the permission citing security reasons and lack of space. The letter said that during the proposed period of fast there would be a huge rush of several organisations coming to Jantar Mantar to hold dharna in view of upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament and all need to be accommodated,” said India Against Corruption spokesperson Aswathi Muralidharan.
The letter also noted that special security arrangements would be required and these arrangements caused undue strain on the limited capacity of Jantar Mantar which is a regular road and cannot be blocked for a long duration, said Ms. Muralidharan.
The Delhi Police have, however, asked the Team Anna members to contact them for a mutually acceptable venue.
“Reacting to it, Arvind Kejriwal has said that it is ironical that that they were denied permission by the Delhi Police for the proposed agitation seeking probe against Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, among others, as the police force itself came under the Union Home Ministry,” said Ms. Muralidharan.
