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New Delhi: Brushing
aside concerns over his poor health, Anna Hazare Tuesday announced
that he will go on an indefinite fast from July 29 if the
government fails to take immediate steps to check corruption in
high places.
Reversing his earlier decision, Hazare said he will join his team
members if the government does not agree to their demands within
four days of their fast which will begin Wednesday, the day
president-elect Pranab Mukherjee will be sworn-in.
The members also hit out at the president-elect and termed his
election as "unfortunate."
However, there were different voices from Hazare and his team
members. While Hazare spoke mostly on Jan Lokpal bill, his team
members focussed on rampant corruption in the government and its
institution.
"They (Team Anna members) suggested I don't fast. I will give four
days to the government to agree to our demand and if they don't, I
will sit on an indefinite fast from July 29," said Hazare, who had
earlier decided not to go on fast due to his health problems.
"Even if I die, I will die for my country," said the social
activist.
This is not the first time Hazare, 75, is sitting on a fast. This
will be his third indefinite hunger strike demanding a strong Jan
Lokpal Bill that checks corruption at all levels. His earlier
protests stirred a nationwide movement.
His protests also forced the government to introduce the Lokpal
bill in the parliament. Though the Lok Sabha passed the bill, the
Rajya Sabha is yet to clear it.
Speaking to reporters, the anti-corruption crusader said: "The
government has deceived us again and again and tried to malign us.
This government is trying to break my team."
According to Hazare, the corrupt politicians present inside the
union cabinet and parliament could never allow for a bill like
Lokpal to be passed.
"Even before Lokpal, we demand that these tainted politicians
should be brought to trial," he said.
Detailing Team Anna's demands, Hazare's key aide Arvind Kejriwal
said that they have demanded "formation of a Special Investigation
Team (SIT) of three retired Supreme Court judges who have the
confidence of the Indian public, to investigate the 15 tainted
cabinet members, against whom, we have given proofs."
Team Anna had earlier given documents which they claimed contained
proofs of graft against 15 union cabinet members, including Pranab
Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
"As many as 162 Lok Sabha members and 39 Rajya Sabha members are
also facing corruption charges. We demand that their cases should
also be given to the fast track courts," Kejriwal added.
On Mukherjee's election as president, Kejriwal said: "it is
unfortunate that the constitution, which was meant to prevent
corruption, gives immunity from both investigation and prosecution
to the president. But we will continue to bring out his (Mukherjee's)
misdeeds in public."
Fellow Team Anna member, Prashant Bhushan added that "if the state
of corruption in the country went unchecked, it would lead India
towards civil war".
Bhushan's father Shashi Bhushan claimed that the anti-graft
movement would succeed in bringing out system-wide changes and
"create a system of governance envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi."
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