Anna Hazare to go ahead with fast from Dec 27

Ralegan Siddhi, Dec 21: Accusing the UPA of ignoring the voice of people, Anna Hazare said he will go ahead with his fast from Dec 27 and 'jail bharo' agitation from Dec 30, alleging that a "weak" Citizens' Charter Bill showed that government's intentions were not honest on Lokpal Bill.

Rejecting the Citizens' Charter Bill, Hazare said the people of the country were cheated by the government and he will go ahead with the plans to campaign against the government in the Assembly elections in five poll-bound states.

"Let the government go its way, we will go our way. I have decided that I will continue to fight till there is life in me," the 74-year-old activist told reporters at his native village here in Maharashtra.

"More bills are coming. But from the one (Citizens' Charter Bill), we know that what it is in store. They have brought a topsy-turvy Citizens' Charter Bill.

"...The intentions of the government are not honest. It is decided that my fast will go ahead. I will fast on December 27, 28 and 29. From December 30, onwards there will be jail bharo agitation till January one," Hazare told reporters here.

Hazare's close associate Arvind Kejriwal said Hazare will go on fast in Mumbai.

Hazare said Parliament has passed a resolution on August 27 that Citizens' Charter, lower bureaucracy and Lokayuktas under Lokpal and that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had conveyed this to him.

"Now it is another chapter of cheating. It is an insult to Parliament that they have brought a separate Citizens' Charter. They say I have insulted Parliament, that I don't listen to Parliament. But it is them who have insulted Parliament. They don't trust Parliament," he said.

Maintaining that the government's intentions on bringing an effective Lokpal bill were "suspect", Hazare said the government was ignoring the "voice of the people".

"The common man's life has become miserable due to all-pervasive corruption. But the government has become blind. It cannot see or hear the suffering of the people," he said.

Hazare's decision to go ahead with his protest plans came as government planned to exclude CBI from the control of Lokpal. Earlier, Team Anna had indicated that Hazare may not go ahead with his plans if Parliament session is extended to pass Lokpal Bill.

PTI