New Delhi: Yet another faceoff seems imminent between members of the civil society led by Anna Hazare and the Government with Anna and other members of civil society on Saturday expressing unhappiness over conditions imposed by the Delhi Police for holding his proposed fast from August 16.
Unhappy over the Delhi police asking for an undertaking which puts many conditions for the fast including the conditions that he will not fast for more than three days, Anna has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh questioning the restrictions imposed by the Delhi Police for the fast.
The Delhi Police has said they would give permission to Anna Hazare and his team to hold a fast at Jai Prakash Narayan Park only after they gave the undertaking which puts 22 conditions on Anna and other members of the civil society.
The undertaking says that Anna has been granted permission to hold his fast from August 16 to August 18, till 1800 hours.
This has left them unhappy as they have sought permission to hold fast for 30 days.
Other conditions put by the police is that 4000 to 5000 people, 50 cars and 50 bikes will be allowed, that participants are channelised and seated in an organised manner and do not spill out on the roads and that no loudspeaker or public system will be allowed at the dharna.
All five members from Team Anna have to sign the undertaking to get permission to hold fast at the venue.
Unhappy over the conditions imposed by the Police, Team Anna had refused to sign the undertaking.
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Anna Hazare questioned the rule under which restrictions are being imposed on him by Delhi Police.
“Your government is trying to crush those who raise their voice against corruption,” the letter by Anna said.
Criticising the move by the Delhi Police, the social activist said no democracy has such restrictions for a peaceful protest.
In his letter, Anna questioned the police permission given to the civil society group to hold Hazare’s fast only for three days, adding that no reasons were cited for this.
The activists have threatened to sit on an indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar.
Talking to reporters here, Lokpal Bill Drafting Committee member Prashant Bhushan termed the undertaking unconstitutional and said, “we had told the Delhi police that the fast will not go on for more than 10 days, putting conditions is completely unreasonable. We will have to exercise our fundamental right, we will go to Jantar Mantar and sit there.”
The government on Friday denounced the agitation as “unjustified” with a message that it could intervene if Hazare’s health fails.
Home minister P Chidambaram said Hazare’s “extra Parliamentary protest” at this stage “seems unjustified” but was evasive on the delay in grant of permission, contending that the matter rests with Delhi Police.
Hazare’s earlier fast, when the Lokpal bill was not in place, was “perhaps right” but not now when a bill has already been introduced in Parliament and the government has “moved forward” on it, the home minister said. (UNI)