Anna Hazare turns down CM plea on Lokpal Bill stir

Refusing to heed the appeal from the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and rejecting the overtures from Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to dissuade him from going ahead with his proposed fast unto death from Tuesday, a determined Anna Hazare Monday said he will not rest till Lok Pal bill is enacted. Hazare the noted anti-corruption crusader switched off his mobile phone and refused to talk to the chief minister. At last Chavan airdashed to the national capital to have a word with Anna, but the latter refused to withdraw the fast saying it was too late now.

Refusing to entertain even the MPCC chief Manikrao Thakre, who was dispatched by the Congress to meet Hazare to plead him into calling off the stir, Hazare said, " There is no point in discussion with someone unless some action is taken." Hazare with other leaders like Kiran Bedi, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and many more under the banner of India against corruption (IAC) are demanding the Jan Lokpal bill drafted by the citizen activists should be passed.

Jan Lokpal Bill is a strong anticorruption law drafted by experts like Justice Santosh Hegde, Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi and many others. The bill asks for an independent body called Jan Lokpal at the nation level and Jan Lokayukta at the state level. More than a lakh people would be joining Hazare in a one day token fast throughout 175 cities in the country.

While Hazare would start his fast in Delhi, Over 100 cars and 100 bikes will march from Shivaji Park to Azad Maidan on Tuesday morning to support the bill. "Around 8000 people would be fasting throughout the day at Azad Maidan demanding the implementation of the bill," said social activist Mayank Gandhi, who has been leading the movement in Mumbai. The movement has been gaining momentum since the last 45 days when the fast was announced. Around 7.5 crore people had send text messages on the number the group had provided to support the bill.

The movement has been often compared to the second freedom struggle and winning the second world cup by the organizers. The people in Ralegan Siddhi, Hazare's hometown protested by tying a black cloth to their Gudis on the occasion of Gudi Padwa. " We can unearth the scam through RTI and then punish the corrupt through Lokpal Bill, thus completing the cycle" said Gandhi highlighting the importance of the bill.

Hazare had earlier also threatened that if till April 11 no positive action is taken in implementing the bill then the people of the country would start the Jail Bharo Andolan from April 12. He had said if the bill is not passed the people of the country should take to streets and protest the government's apathy.