Gandhian Anna Hazare and Co on protest fast at Rajghat

New Delhi, Jun 8: Raising further worries for the ruling UPA government, the original crusader Anna Hazare will begin his one-day token fast protesting the brutal midnight crackdown on the anti-corruption campaign of Baba Ramdev at the Ram Lila grounds.

The fast is scheduled to begin at 10am at the Rajghat. After the drama yesterday (Tuesday) that saw the Delhi Police rejecting any sort of protests or fasts at the Jantar Mantar in lieu of Sec 144 being imposed there, they expressed no objections when the Hazare's camp proceeded on to choose the Rajghat as their next preferred venue.

With the midnight crackdown on Ramdev and his supporters, the issue is only strengthening the voices of dissent against the government. Anna Hazare and his team is determined to bring the corrupt to book. Unlike the earlier cordial treatment meted out to the Gandhian Anna Hazare by the UPA Ministers, this time around the discourse has not exactly been pleasant. The Congress General Secretary BK Hariprasad has been quoted as saying, "Anna is a mukhauta (another face) of Sangh Parivar."

The Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari also raised the heat on Anna when he said, "There are elements of fascism." Union Minister Kapil Sibal also managed to derail the smooth presentation of the "Lokpal Bill" when he said that he was ready to table the Bill without Anna.

In spite of the voices for and against Anna Hazare emerging, Anna only expressed happiness that the venue was shifted to Rajgaht and said, "I like Raj Ghat more than Jantar Mantar."

In a press conference yesterday, civil society member Arvind Kejriwal had said, "Anna has never provoked anyone. He never had a violent history. Now he says, he wants to assemble peacefully, what is the need of Section 144. If police tries to stop us we will not resist, but just offer ourselves for being arrested."

OneIndia News