Thaindian News

Ralegan-Siddhi (Maharashtra), Dec 26 (IANS) Accusing the government of insincerity vis-a-vis the Lokpal, Anna Hazare declared Monday that he was all set to launch a three-day hunger strike from Tuesday in Mumbai.

A defiant Hazare also told journalists ahead of his trip to Mumbai that he would later stage a sit-in outside United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s residence in New Delhi.

But the veteran anti-corruption crusader made it clear that his campaign was not directed at any particular political party.

“Our movement is not against any party or individual. We have been doing this (fighting corruption) for 25 years.”

He said he and his colleagues had been forced to agitate because even six decades after independence, there was no effective legislation to “put a brake on corruption”.

“We had to fight for 10 years to get the Right to Information,” he added.

“This is not against any political party. This movement is for change. We have nothing to do with any political party.”

Hazare said that a large number of people from all over Maharashtra and the rest of India would join his protest fast.

“People are fed up with corruption. The government is not bothered how the poor are affected by corruption.”

He said after his Jan 27-29 fast in Mumbai, he will proceed to Delhi for the sit-in outside Sonia Gandhi’s Janpath residence.

Hazare has repeatedly targeted Sonia Gandhi and her son and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi while describing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a honest man.

He urged everyone to maintain peace during the protests.

“The government is very powerful, we know that,” he said, speaking first in Marathi and then in Hindi.

“As long as there is life in my body, I will keep fighting (corruption).”