New Delhi: As the health of his aides deteriorated, Anna Hazare today warned the government that he will not negotiate with them if the fasting activists are forcefully removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site here.
Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal said they saw a conspiracy to take the activists to hospital to end the stir for a strong Lokpal.
Kejriwal, whose health deteriorated along with that of Gopal Rai on the eighth day of their fast, said that it will be protesters’ responsibility to get him out of the facility if he is forcibly taken there. With the government showing no inclination for talks to end their stir, a worried Team Anna held discussions this morning among its members on the way ahead and decided to adopt a tough stand.
Team Anna requested Kejriwal and Rai to end their hunger strike and let other members carry on with the stir but the activists refused to budge. A Team Anna member said they requested both Kejriwal and Rai but they did not budge from their position and that they will continue with the fast.
In the meeting, it was also suggested that some other Team Anna members sit on fast in place of Kejriwal and Rai. After the meeting, Hazare told protesters that he will not call off his fast till a strong Lokpal bill is passed.
“A man may commit suicide when he is in trouble. What is troubling Arvind? He is fighting for the country. And this fight is creating trouble for the government and there could be a conspiracy to take them to hospital. But this won’t work.
“If the government forcefully removes them, I will not talk to anybody in the government. Till we have the strength, we will carry on with the protest,” he said. Kejriwal said he does not have trust in the government doctors and refused to share medical reports with them from today.
“There is a conspiracy to forcibly take me to hospital. I don’t have trust in government doctors. If they take me forcefully, then it is your responsibility to get me out of it,” Kejriwal said.
The team held two rounds of talks at the protest site, where Hazare’s fast entered the fourth day and that of Kejriwal, Rai and Manish Sisodia the eighth day. After being advised hospitalisation, Kejriwal had yesterday warned the government against using force to remove him and his associates from the protest site. Addressing protesters this morning, Team Anna member Kumar Vishwas said the health condition of Kejriwal and Rai was “serious”.
“The whole country is concerned about their health,” he said.
The crowd count in the morning was low as rain kept the protesters away from the venue. Asked what the members were planning to do keeping in view the deteriorating condition of the activists, a Team Anna member said, “Wait and watch.”
Miffed over the government not initiating any dialogue process, Hazare had yesterday ruled out talks with even the Prime Minister to end their stir. He also threatened to return Padma Bhushan bestowed upon him as a mark of protest.
Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan targeted the government for not initiating a dialogue with the group, alleging that they want people like Hazare to die so that they can continue to “loot” the country.
“The government said they were not ready to talk to us. This is their attitude. They have utmost disrespect for the people. They want people like Anna, Arvind, Manish and others to die so that they can continue their loot,” he alleged. (PTI)