Many thought Anna Hazare's more and more fasts would get less and less support. Others, like Arvind Kejriwal, promised the support would only swell. On Sunday, as the 74-year-old undertook his third token fast for a strong Lokpal bill, it turned out to be a gamechanger in a way few had foreseen: the whole opposition came out in support of his demands, isolating the UPA government and redrawing political equations.

PTI reports: Anna Hazare today sat on a day-long fast here protesting against "watered-down" proposals of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the anti-graft measure.

Hazare began his fast at around 10:15 AM at Jantar Mantar, the protest hotspot in the capital, surrounded by a number of supporters who waved the tri-colour, sporadically shouting slogans like 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.

"My fast has begun. I will not speak much now," he told his supporters as he also chanted 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Vande Mataram'.

Clad in his trade-mark white kurta and Gandhi cap, Hazare was received at the protest venue with a thunderous applause and sloganeering by his supporters who had gathered at the venue braving the morning chill.

Along with Hazare, prominent members of Team Anna like Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Kumar Vishwas also joined the fast.

Before heading to Jantar Mantar, Hazare went to Rajghat and spend around 30 minutes meditating there. "I am fine and healthy," he told reporters.

This is Hazare's third protest on the issue and second at Jantar Mantar. The first one, which was a five-day fast from April 5 at Jantar Mantar, had drawn huge crowds. The government had then set up a joint committee comprising official representatives and activists to draft the Lokpal Bill.

The 74-year-old activist, who had gone on his second fast that lasted 13 days at Ramlila Maidan in August on the same issue, has been demanding bringing lower bureaucracy within the ambit of the Lokpal besides provisions for Citizen's Charter and setting up of Lokayuktas under a central law. The government as well as Standing Committee have rejected it.

Hazare has also threatened to go on an indefinite fast from December 27 at Ramlila Maidan if a strong Lokpal bill is not passed in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.

Hazare has raised his decibel on the issue, accusing Rahul Gandhi for being behind the "watered-down" proposals of Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Lokpal bill.

He had alleged yesterday that the government has "cheated" the entire country and that he will campaign against the UPA in five poll-bound states and continue it till the next Lok Sabha elections.

Hazare has also warned the government that if a strong Lokpal Bill is not passed in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, he will sit on an indefinite fast from December 27 at Ramlila Maidan.

While he has accused the Standing Committee on Lokpal of "fooling" people on the issue, his supporters have questioned its credibility claiming that only 12 of the 30 MPs supported its proposals which will not help in fighting graft.

Addressing the supporters ahead of the commencement of today's fast, activist Kiran Bedi said that people who had gathered there would pray that the government gets "good sense" to make "amends" on the Lokpal issue.

"The Lokpal does not have investigative powers. The government has given nothing substantial for Lokpal and at the same time taken away the powers of CBI. We did not ask for this," she said.

At Jantar Mantar, activists sang, beat drums, waved flags and shouted slogans as people in large numbers joined the gathering.

Opposition backs Team Anna on PM, lower bureaucracy

(PTI) Sharing Anna Hazare's platform, Opposition parties today backed his demands for inclusion of Prime Minister and lower bureaucracy under the ambit of Lokpal but some counselled Team Anna to be flexible and not expect every point raised by it to be accepted.

While almost all the speakers were on the same page on most of issues raised by Hazare, CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan warned Team Anna against branding as "corrupt" those people who disagree with its views and asked the activists to "listen to others".

Leaders of BJP, CPI(M), CPI, JD(U), Akali Dal, TDP and BJD participated in the public debate on Lokpal Bill at Jantar Mantar where Hazare was sitting on a one-day dharna protesting against Parliamentary Standing Committee report on Lokpal Bill.

No representative of Congress was present.

Most of the leaders concurred with Hazare's demands for inclusion of Prime Minister, lower bureaucracy and CBI's anti-corruption wing under Lokpal but they did not favour bringing higher judiciary under the ombudsman and argued for a separate mechanism to check corruption in it.

Bardhan, however, said, "Team Anna should not expect that each and every point it makes is accepted. They should show some flexibility."

"They should not think that the entire wisdom of the world is with 9-10 people. There is no dearth of scholars in a country of 120 crore. Team Anna should also listen to others and have patience to listen to others," he said.

Samajwadi Party's Ramgopal Yadav also echoed similar views, alleging he has come across people who wave the tricolour from Hazare's platform and indulge in corrupt practices in UP's Etawah.

Anna Hazare insulting Parliament, says Congress

As Anna Hazare stepped up his campaign for the Janlokpal Bill, Congress today accused the activist of insulting Parliament and indulging in politics by attacking Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

"It is the Constitutional right of Annaji to sit on protest, but the manner in which he is trying to target Rahulji and Soniaji makes it clear that he only wants to indulge in politics," Congress spokesman Rashid Alvi told reporters.

He said as promised, the government had introduced the Lokpal Bill in Parliament and the same has been examined by a Standing Committee which has representatives from all political parties.

"Laws cannot be made at Jantar Mantar. I have no hesitation in saying that Annaji is insulting Parliament," Alvi said, adding that the activist has had his say and should now allow Parliament to carry out its mandate.

"Parliament will debate and decide on the Lokpal Bill.

Nobody is bigger than Parliament or Constitution. The country runs as per the Constitution and not by raising slogans," he said.

Alvi said the Congress will continue to fight corruption at all levels.

"Corruption cannot be fought by laws alone, there has to be a change in the social mindset and we all have to do it together," he said.

Earlier, Congress had accused Team Anna of mounting "unnecessary pressure" on Parliament.

"This type of attempt is to bring unnecessary pressure on Parliament and democracy," Congress General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi had said yesterday.