Will be at Ramlila ground once LS poll announced: Hazare

Satara (Maha) May 27: Anti-corruption crusader

said if a strong

does not come into being, he would again launch a massive movement in Delhi once the Lok Sabha elections are declared.

"The government does not want to create a corruption-free India. Which is why, the Lokpal Bill had not been passed despite being introduced eight times in the Lok Sabha. At least half of the number of ministers would have gone behind bars had the Bill been passed earlier," he said here.

"The year 2014 is like 'now or never' time. If a strong Lokpal does not come into existence till then, I will tour the country and will be there at the Ramlila grounds (in Delhi) once the Lok Sabha elections are announced," Hazare said at a rally, organised as part of his ongoing state-wide tour on Lokayukta Bill.

The 74-year-old Gandhian accused Home Minister P Chidambaram of hatching a "conspiracy to foil his Lokpal stir" last year. "I was produced before court saying it was necessary to maintain peace. I refused bail. I said I was ready to go to jail and then I went to Tihar jail...A plane was ready at the Delhi airport. The plan was to bring me to Pune and then take me to Bhandardara...When the Home Minister of a country plans such schemes, where will the country go? Had the Jan Lokpal been there, Chidambaram would have been in jail now," he said.

"If you fight for your country and get jailed, it's a blessing. We will have to go to jail for the sake of our country. It is a matter of pride," Hazare said.

Criticising a recent visit by Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi to some drought-affected parts in Maharashtra, he said, "Even 65 years after Independence, we still don't have water. Does he (Rahul) has the knowledge? He should do concrete work instead."

Hazare alleged there was huge corruption in defence deals as well. "If we are empowered to acquire information about the defence deals under RTI, huge amount of corruption would come to the fore," he said.

PTI