Anna Hazare on maun-vrat as India sees wave of protests against CAA, NRC

Veteran Gandhian and anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare is continuing with his 'maun vrat' demanding the hanging of convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case even as India is seeing a wave of protests over CAA, NRC and NPR.

Hazare, the octogenarian Army man-turned-social activist, in 2011-12 spearheaded the 'India Against Corruption' movement undertaking fasts in New Delhi and Mumbai and demanding Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the states.

On December 20, 2019, the 82-year-old Anna launched his 'maun vrat' till the Nirbhaya convicts are hanged to death.

Anna is not travelling and is currently in his village - Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.

"It is over a month now that Anna ji is in 'maun vrat'. The court earlier fixed 22 January as date of hanging and now 1 February. He is not speaking on any issue...on legal matters concerning him and his organisations, he is conveying by writing to the concerned," sources in Ralegan Siddhi told DH on Friday.

After the date of hanging was announced, in a statement, he had said: "....Because of this, people will once again gain confidence. It will send a good message about the judicial process. Because of this decision, the confidence of the people especially women in the judicial process has strengthened. As the culprits in the Nirbhaya case have been sentenced to death, the attitude which harps on harassing women has suffered a serious setback. Because, even if a person has a criminal attitude, he is afraid of death. There are many Nirbhayas in this country. I have faith that they too will get speedy justice."

Several senior activists have questioned Anna's silence over CAA, NRC and NPR.