Anna and team to protest against Govt on June 8

Agencies

New Delhi, 06 June 2011: Social activist Anna Hazare and his team on Sunday came out strongly against the midnight crackdown by the Delhi police on Baba Ramdev’s fast venue Ramlila Maidan on Saturday night. Anna Hazre held the Prime Minister responsible for the act. "The Prime Minister is responsible because he is head of the government," Anna said.

Condemning the police action, Anna Hazare said, "Attacking on sleeping people on women and children is a blot on human rights and against democracy."

Anna also said that he and his team will hold a protest at Jantar Mantar against the act on June 8. "We decided that on June 8 we will protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, I will protest myself and I ask the country to participate in this second war for independence," Anna said.

He also criticised the government for not being very enthusiastic about the Lokpal Bill. "We are asking that everyone be covered in the Lokpal Bill but the government is not interested in bring everyone under the bill. It looks like the government is not interested in removing corruption from the country," he said.

The civil society members of the Lokpal Bill panel have also decided not attend the Lokpal meeting on Monday to protest against the police action.

"The government will get weak if we don’t go for meeting. They cannot be strong now," Anna said.

Arvind Kejriwal gave two reasons for the civil society members boycotting the meeting. "The manner in which the government behaved yesterday in Ramlila Maidan and also, our past meetings with the government show that the government is not serious," Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal, however said that they are not boycotting the meeting endlessly. "We will see the response of the government, then we will decide our next move," Kejriwal said.

The civil society members however remained doubtful over joining Baba Ramdev’s campaign. "Ramdev assured us that no communal element will be present but since Saturday there is some problem and that’s why we decided to give it a second thought," Kejriwal said.

Anna Hazare said they have some questions if Baba Ramdev wanted to join their movement, which they will discuss with him.

Lokpal Bill drafting committee member Shanti Bhushan also said that the Prime Minister should explain to the nation why the Emergency-like step was taken.

He also made clear that in future they will only participate if such the Jan Lokpal bill meetings are telecast live.