Will not budge till we get Jan Lokpal Bill: Hazare

New Delhi, Aug 19: Anna Hazare today (Aug 19) launched his protest fast at the historic Ramlila Maidan giving indications that it will be a prolonged one when he declared that he will not quit the venue till the Jan Lokpal bill is brought.

"We will not leave this ground till the Jan Lokpal Bill is brought," he declared from Ramlila Maidan, the venue of his campaign, after he came out of Tihar Jail and made a three- hour drive from the prison where he spent three nights.

On the fourth day of his fast, the 73-year-old Gandhian looked totally fit when he ran a short distance in Rajghat to escape from rain though he had lost three kg of weight since Tuesday. He came out of the jail this morning after reaching an agreement with government for holding his hunger strike for 15 days.

Both outside Tihar Jail and at Ramlila Maidan, he made a brief address to his supporters in which he said that the second freedom struggle has started for liberating India from corruption.

"There was a revolution in 1942 because of which the British had to quit India. But the loot and rowdyism have not stopped. That is why the second freedom struggle has begun.

"Do not allow this torch of struggle to be put out whether Anna is alive or not," he told the cheering crowd at the spacious Ramlila Maidan.

After refusing to come out of Tihar Jail despite unconditional release on Tuesday and some hard bargaining, he extracted from authorities permission to hold his protest for 15 days from the 25,000 capacity ground instead of J P Park.

Police had initially given permission to Hazare to hold the fast for three days from August 16 in JP Park with a crowd restriction of 5,000.

PTI