Anna demands debate in Parliament from tomorrow

New Delhi, Aug 25: Reacting to Parliament's appeal to end his fast, Anna Hazare today (Aug 25) demanded that Parliament discuss from Friday, Aug 26 three key issues on Jan Lokpal and create an agreement, failing which he will not end his fast.

"I have sent a message to the Prime Minister. If you want to pass Jan Lokpal bill then start the discussion on Friday morning. I have three demands. If there is support (for them), then I can consider ending the fast," he told his supporters at the Ramlila Grounds here.

He was reacting to the appeal from Parliament that he end his fast after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made an offer to the civil society that the Jan Lokpal bill will be discussed by Parliament.

Hazare said he has sent this message through Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh when he came to meet him at the fast site and appealed to him to end his hunger strike.

"You (PM) say, you are worried. Now he is saying that we are worried but for ten days you were not worried. It went on like this," he said, adding the government had betrayed him twice in the past and now he would not like to be betrayed for the third time.

While taking note of the appreciation by the Prime Minister, Speaker and Leader of the Opposition, Hazare wondered why the Opposition is keeping mum on the Jan Lokpal bill.

"Why are you keeping quiet? You should say that we will support this bill and ask the government to bring it. But now everyone has joined hands because they fear that power will slip out of their hands," the 74-year-old Gandhian told the opposition.

PTI