Hazare to fast indefinitely for Lokpal again

Activist Anna Hazare on Saturday threatened to sit on an indefinite fast again here from October demanding passage of Jan Lokpal Bill.

Hazare announced his decision in a letter shot off to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressing his disappointment over the government failure to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill as promised in 2011.

“Corruption in the country has led to price rise and the government is not doing anything about it, therefore I have decided to go on another fast in October at Ramlila Maidan,” he said. He said he would later decide on the date for the fast later.

“I ended my fast at the Ramlila Maidan since the government had promised me to table the Jan Lokpal Bill but two years have passed since then, nothing has been done,” he said.

“The government has made false promises to me and the rest of the country which is unacceptable,” he added.

Anna said the government could achieve a majority after protests against the foreign direct investment and even during the presidential elections but not could not do so for the Jan Lokpal Bill, which proves that they are not willing to fight against corruption.

“In the demands to the government we asked for a citizen’s charter, a strong Jan Lokpal Bill and a law to bring all government employees under the ambit of the Lokpal, no steps regarding that was taken,” he said in the letter.