Thaindian News

New Delhi, Dec 26 (IANS) As Anna Hazare on Tuesday begins his three-day fast in Mumbai to push for a strong Lokpal bill, his key team members, including Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan, will simultaneously agitate at the capital’s Ramlila ground.

“As Anna Hazare will start his three-day fast at Mumbai’s MMRDA ground, some of the Team Anna members will also sit in the Ramlila ground for the agitation,” Prashant Bhushan told reporters here.

Hazare will stage a three-day fast at the MMRDA Ground in Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla complex.

The activists’ team in Delhi would install huge LCD screens at the Ramlila ground where the live feed of Hazare’s fast in Mumbai will be telecast. The screens will also telecast parts of parliament proceedings on the Lokpal bill.

“Keeping Delhi’s weather condition in mind, starting Dec 27-29, we will assemble at Ramlila ground at 10 a.m. and we will be there till 6 p.m.,” Bhushan said.

“On Dec 30 and 31, we will protest outside the houses of those MPs who support the government’s Lokpal bill,” he said.

Bhushan requested the people to demonstrate in front of houses of MPs who were supporting the government’s Lokpal Bill or who were opposing Anna’s anti-graft bill.

He said that plans to demonstrate outside the MPs’ houses would be cancelled only if Team Anna got indication from the government that it was ready for amendments in the proposed legislation.

“The four changes suggested by the government in the bill are non-negotiable,” Bhushan said, demanding that Lokpal’s removal should not be in government’s hand.

“The Lokpal’s removal and selection should be independent of government’s control,” he said.

Bhushan said the Lokpal and Lokayuktas in states must be able to initiate their own investigations, without a complaint or reference from anyone.

Another demand raised by Team Anna is that Class C and D government employees should be brought under the purview of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas.

He said if the government failed to bring amendments to the proposed Lokpal bill, Team Anna would campaign against the Congress in the upcoming assembly elections in five states.

–Indo-Asian News Agency
gt/rah/vt