Lucknow/Kanpur/Kolkata/New Delhi, Dec 11 (ANI): Veteran social activist Anna Hazare’s daylong protest fast at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi galvanised hundreds across the country, as his supporters warned the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre of a prolonged agitation if key demands were not included in the Lokpal Bill.
Hazare’s supporters gathered in large numbers in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow city to demand the inclusion of three key demands outlined in the Bill.
Purshottam Shukla, a supporter of Hazare and himself a serial hunger striker, said the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, had promised to include the demands put forward by Team Anna, but the government had backtracked on its position.
Shukla further said that he would support Hazare in a prolonged agitation against the Congress-led UPA Government if the demands were still excluded.
“The three key demands that were remaining in the end, our Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) had assured that they will be included and had said that Annaji (Anna Hazare) should break his fast. Now, again they are not agreeing to these demands and the government has backtracked again,” said Shukla.
“It is our one-day demonstration, a waning demonstration, so that the government agrees to our demands, but if they do not agree then we will sit on an indefinite hunger strike again from December 27 and we will hold a stronger anti-corruption movement as compared to the last time,” he added.
Similar scenes were witnessed in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur city, where Hazare’s supporters wearing ‘I am Anna’ caps staged a sit-in and sang patriotic songs to express their solidarity with the veteran social activist.
“The common people have elected you (lawmakers) to the Parliament. The Prime Minister had promised and had given a written assurance that the government will include the three key demands outlined in the Jan Lokpal Bill. But we have been betrayed,” said Rakesh Yadav, a Hazare supporter.
“So, keep in mind that if we can elect you in Parliament then we can overthrow you from Parliament and this demonstration is a warning to highlight that,” he added.
Meanwhile, the locals in West Bengal ‘s Kolkata city also came out on the streets and waved the national flag to mark their support to Hazare.
Hazare sat on a daylong fast at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to protest against the proposals of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Lokpal Bill.
Hazare, who is fighting for a strong anti-graft bill, has been demanding that the lower bureaucracy should be brought within the ambit of the Lokpal besides provisions for Citizen’s Charter and setting up of Lokayuktas under a central law.
The 74-year-old social activist has also warned the government that he would sit on an indefinite fast from December 27 at the Ramlila Maidan here if a strong Lokpal Bill is not passed in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.
The Lokpal Bill is seen as a weapon to root out corruption and nepotism from the government machinery and in public life.
The proposed Bill envisages the setting up of a national anti-corruption watchdog to check financial mismanagement and corrupt practices that have deeply pervaded several democratic and civic institutions of India .
Hazare had staged an indefinite hunger strike against graft that he gave up on August 28 when the government agreed to deliberate the issues raised by him and his forum vis-à-vis the passage and enactment of the Lokpal Bill, a suggestion that has received unprecedented nationwide backing.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/anna%E2%80%99s-symbolic-daylong-fast-galvanises-hundreds-across-india/
