Hazare team to boycott Lokpal Bill meeting, to fast June 8 (Second Lead)
June 5th, 2011 - 10:16 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) Coming out in support of yoga guru Baba Ramdev, social reformer Anna Hazare said Sunday he and other civil society members in the anti-graft Lokpal Bill joint drafting committee will boycott its next meeting June 6. He also announced a one-day fast here June 8 to protest against the crackdown on Ramdev.
“The incidents of the last night and the proceedings of earlier meetings clearly make government’s intentions in dealing with corruption suspect. The government has been trying to crush the anti-corruption movement,” Hazare told reporters.
“We have, therefore, decided to attend the future meetings of the joint committee only if they were telecast live,” added Hazare.
Hazare also announced that a one-day fast would be held Wednesday at Jantar Mantar to protest the government’s midnight crackdown on Ramdev’s agitation.
“We have decided that a day-long fast would be organised June 8 at Jantar Mantar. We ask people to join us nationwide,” Hazare said.
“Everyone should observe Wednesday, June 8, as a day of fasting and praying. Let the people assemble in their respective towns, cities and villages on that day,” Hazare added.
The announcement comes after the Delhi Police post-midnight forcibly dispersed Ramdev and thousands of his supporters from the Ramlila Ground where they had gathered to protest against corruption and black money.
Describing it as an assault on democracy, Hazare said: “Doing peaceful demonstration is a citizen’s fundamental right. Without any provocation, helpless and unarmed women, children and other peaceful demonstrators were assaulted.”
He also demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh explain to the nation the reasons which provoked the government to issue orders for the police action, adding that he supported Ramdev’s demands.
Apart from Hazare, civil society members in the committee include activist Arvind Kejriwal, Karnataka ombudsman and former Supreme Court judge Santosh Hegde, former law minister Shanti Bhushan, who is the panel’s co-chairman, and his advocate son Prashant Bhushan.
From the government’s side, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is the co-chairman and the other members are Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily and Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.
The panel was set up after Hazare went on a 97-hour fast at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in April.
- Anna, team to boycott Lokpal Bill meeting; fast June 8 (Lead) - Jun 05, 2011
- Prohibitory orders put question mark on Hazare's fast - Jun 05, 2011
- Hazare to fast to protest crackdown against Ramdev - Jun 05, 2011
- Government, team Anna headed for showdown (Second Lead) - Jun 06, 2011
- Team Anna to fast at Rajghat, slams government (Third Lead) - Jun 07, 2011
- Civil society members boycott Lokpal bill meeting (Lead) - Jun 06, 2011
- Ramdev to meet president - Aug 17, 2011
- Democracy was murdered at Ramlila ground: Prashant Bhushan - Jun 08, 2011
- No police permission yet, but Hazare's fast on (Second Lead) - Jun 07, 2011
- Hazare puts conditions for Ramdev to join fast - Jun 27, 2011
- Thousands rally for Hazare, Ramdev in Orissa - Jun 08, 2011
- Anna gets Ramdev backing, Congress and BJP at war (Roundup) - Jun 07, 2011
- Nationwide protests against black money Sunday: Ramdev - Jun 01, 2012
- Chronology of an epochal fast - Aug 28, 2011
- Police mum on Hazare request for fast - Aug 01, 2011
Tags: anna hazare, arvind kejriwal, black money, delhi police, drafting committee, fundamental right, joint committee, manmohan, manmohan singh, mantar, peaceful demonstration, peaceful demonstrators, police action, police post, prime minister manmohan, prime minister manmohan singh, social reformer, society members, unarmed women, yoga guru