Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Social activist Anna Hazare has been given permission to stage a hunger strike till Sep 2 with certain conditions relevant to the venue - the Ramlila ground, Home Secretary R.K. Singh said Thursday.

“I believe the decision is that they have been given permission to the 2nd of September on the usual terms and conditions,” Singh told reporters here, adding that the decision was taken after discussions between Delhi Police and Hazare’s aides.

Asked if Delhi Police had handled the matter well, particularly with Hazare calling it his victory over the government, the home secretary said it was not a question of victory or defeat.

“If anyone says that this is victory I think that is not a very right way… It is not the question of victory or defeat,” he said.

“Basically, the issue is permission for a certain period for a certain ground was given with some conditions and the conditions were relevant to that ground,” he added.

Explaining the conditions, he said the police had earlier asked the social activists to have a limited number of people participating in the protests being organised for a stronger bill to set up an independent and powerful anti-graft watchdog.

“The size of the ground (JP Park) mandated a certain size of the crowd. The size of the available parking space mandated certain number of vehicles,” Singh said about the earlier venue given to Hazare for his planned protest.

He said the new venue Ramlila Maidan is much larger and there is no need to have a limited number of people. But certain “conditions are there like pertaining to use of loudspeakers”, he said.

“Conditions on the use of loudspeakers remains the same which was imposed earlier. The condition that the doctors will examine (fasting Hazare from time to time) also remains the same,” he said.

Hazare was set to leave Tihar Jail and hold his planned fast at the Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi, two days after he was jailed and subsequently released Tuesday.

The home secretary said he had “no information” on whether Hazare was moving from the jail to the new venue Thursday or Friday.