Hazare disbands Team Anna, says no talks with govt on Lokpal

New Delhi, Aug 6: Apparently paving the way for the formation of a political party, Team Anna today disbanded itself and decided not to have any more talks with the government on Lokpal issue.

The dissolution of Anna Hazare's team came three days after it ended its indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar here with plans for the formation of a political alternative to fight the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The announcement was made by Hazare in his blog but he did not clearly specify whether they were going to immediately announce the formation of a party though he talked about the procedures for setting up the political alternative.

"The government is not ready to enact Jan Lokpal Bill. How long and how many times we will go on fast? Now people have asked us to leave fast and give an alternative. I also thought that the government is not going to curb corruption... We are now stopping the activities of Team Anna today. Team Anna was formed to fight for Jan Lokpal. We have also decided not to have any more talks with the government. From today, there will be no Team Anna or Team Anna Core Committee," Hazare said.

Since April last year, Team Anna has been on streets with Hazare going on an indefinite fast four times and one-day fasts also four times besides being part of a joint committee to draft the Lokpal Bill. Team Anna's decision to enter electoral politics had earlier met with opposition from several of Core Committee members like Justice Santosh Hegde, Medha Patkar, Chandramohan and Akhil Gogoi.

"I have given an alternative of sending good people to Parliament. But I am not going to be part of any party nor I will contest elections. After getting Jan Lokpal, I will go back to Maharashtra and indulge in my activities. I have told this to those who are for forming a party. Even after forming the party, this movement should go on. In the movement, we had earlier demanded for Jan Lokpal Bill and now keeping this movement alive, send good people to Parliament with the help of people and ensure that the law is enacted," he said.

PTI