Delhi Police refuses permission for fast, Team Anna defiant
Mangalore Today News Network
New Delhi 15, Aug 2011 : After Anna Hazare refused to toe its line, the Delhi Police has rejected permission for his proposed indefinite fast on August 16.
The move came after the 74-year-old Gandhian refused to give a "full and proper" undertaking on 22 conditions laid down by the police.
Two of these conditions include capping the number of days for the protest to three and restricting the number of protesters to 5000.
"The undertaking, asked for by Delhi Police is based on Supreme Court and High Court directions. This undertaking is obtained from everyone who wants to hold a dharna and is nothing new and is not being taken from them only. Since they have refused to give the undertaking, any assembly at that venue is violative of Supreme Court directions and will be unlawful. And will be liable for legal action", said a source from Delhi Police.
A defiant Team Anna , meanwhile, said that they along with their supporters would court arrest tomorrow at the venue of the fast after paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. Claiming that they had given an undertaking to the police accepting 16 conditions, they dubbed six of the conditions as "unconstitutional".
"It is now no longer a question of just a fight against corruption...but a fight to save democracy", said social activist Arvind Kejriwal.
The Delhi Police had given a conditional permission to Team Anna to hold the fast at the Jai Prakash Narain National Park in central Delhi subject to its submitting the undertaking.
The police had sought an assurance from that the fast would be started at 8 a.m. on August 16 and the park would be vacated by 6 p.m. on August 18, and that the gathering will not exceed 5,000 people and the participants are seated in an organised manner and do not spill out on to the roads.
Team Anna has also been asked to ensure that only a maximum of 50 cars and 50 two-wheelers are parked in the available space around the venue and the remaining buses, trucks and cars are parked along other places earmarked for the undertaking. The police have instructed the organisers to ensure that vehicular flow is not obstructed anywhere.
Organisers of the dharna have been told to ensure that there is no damage to public property, assault on government servants and that no inflammatory slogans are raised within 200 metres of any place of religious worship. The organisers have also been directed to make arrangements for drinking water, first-aid and mobile toilets.
Mr Hazare and his team members are expected to meet the Deputy Commissioner of Police at the Daryaganj police station over the restrictions imposed. The Jayprakash Park has been closed to the public. Police officials this is part of the Independence Day security arrangements.
Courtesy : NDTV