Hazare to postpone protests if parl session extended

Team Anna met Mumbai police official to discuss arrangements for Hazare's fast tentatively scheduled from December 27

PTI | December 16, 2011



Team Anna member Kiran Bedi tonight said Anna Hazare will postpone his protests if Parliament session is extended to introduce and get the Lokpal Bill passed.

Also read: Anna ko gussa kyon aata hai

"If Parliament decides to work overtime to finalise the Lokpal, then Anna will obviously wait. He will go on fast if he sees Parliament adjourned without passing a law or passing a weak law," Bedi told NDTV.

She was responding to a question on whether Hazare will go ahead with his protest plans if Parliament extends its ongoing Winter Session to take up Lokpal Bill.

Hazare today announced a 'jail bharao' agitation from January one besides going on an indefinite fast from December 27 to press for a strong Lokpal.

 

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Anna's associates meet police over fast plan in Mumbai

Representatives of Team Anna here today met a top police official to discuss arrangements for the Gandhian's fast tentatively scheduled to begin from December 27.

"We had a good meeting with the police where we discussed the arrangements to be made during the fast and about co-ordination between us and Mumbai police. We hope that in a day or two, the police would give us permission to hold fast here," Praful Vora, one of the representatives said.

"May be, they (police) are scared that people may come in large numbers given that Anna Hazare would be there. However, we told them that we will make arrangements in such a way that there will be continuous movement of people and that the people would not be standing at one place," Vora said after meeting Deputy Police Commissioner (Zone I) Cherring Dorje.

"But police have responded very positively and I am sure that they will grant us permission for 30 days," he added.

DCP Dorje was not available for comment.

Yesterday, Mumbai police had received an application from Team Anna requesting permission for Hazare's proposed fast beginning from December 27.

"The application says that Anna Hazare will protest between December 27 and January 26 at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai and there would be around 1,000 supporters with him," Deputy Police Commissioner (Operations) Manohar Dalvi had said.

 

Wrong to say Anna, his team pressuring Parliament: Hegde

(AHMEDABAD)

Former Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde, also a member of Team Anna, today said that it is wrong to say that Anna Hazare and his team are pressurising the Parliament and behaving in a dictatorial manner over the Lokpal Bill issue.

Hegde, who was here to address the Jayprakash Narayan Memorial lecture, said this while replying to a query.

"I don't think that anybody can pressurise. I only think that this type of statements (from political parties) are coming out of pressure, because everybody is angry," he said.

"I am sure, Anna knows that ultimately it is the Parliament, which can pass a law and if it is not passed, we can go on a strike or go to court," he said adding that it was wrong to say that Anna or his supporters were dictators.

"Look at the arrogance of those elected to Parliament. They are saying that, we, the un-elected people, are trying to dictate terms to Parliament. They are actually representatives of the people and the Constitution has said that citizens are the ultimate office in a democracy," Hegde had earlier said in his lecture.

In a reply to a question seeking his opinion on the inclusion of the CBI under the Lokpal, Hegde said, "Hundred per cent, that wing of CBI, which is doing anti-corruption work, must be included under the Lokpal. If all the investigations under the Anti-Corruption Act is handed over to the Lokpal, then that wing of CBI will become redundant, that is of no use then. CBI can do many other works."

Responding to a question on the expansion of the core Team Anna team, he said, "In my personal opinion, the core team of Anna Hazare should be expanded. It should be a cohesive group representing all the regions and minorities," he said.

When asked to comment on the allegations that Anna is biased towards the Sangh Parivar, he said, "I have not found that Anna has any political affiliations. That is the reason, I am associated with the Anna movement".

"There is no difference between Anna and Me. He is my leader," Hegde said in reply to a question on reports that he had not attended the core committee meeting of Team Anna held in New Delhi yesterday.

"I had already told that I had engagements in Gujarat on these two days and that was the reason I could not be present in the meeting. I have also told them that I am taking Anna's message to the people of Gujarat," Hegde said.

Hegde, whose report indicted former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and five of his ministers in that state's mining scam, said that, "Corruption has been there since the beginning of civilisation, nobody can eliminate it, but we have to contain it".

"I am asked, has my report ended corruption in Karnataka, to which, I have said 'No'. But it will certainly help contain corruption", Hegde said.

Hegde said that he cannot take up the post of the Karnataka Lokayukta again, as suggested by Karnataka governor H R Bhardwaj. "I heard the governor saying that if Karnataka state government appoints me as Lokayukta, he will accept it. But I have conveyed that I cannot take up the post again," Hegde said.

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