I am starting my fast tomorrow, says Anna Hazare

Mangalore Today / NDTV

New Delhi, August 15:  At a press conference, social activist Anna Hazare said, ’’I am starting my fast tomorrow. It is just the start of a struggle for change. We have to fight a long battle. It’s going to be a fight to bring about change in India.’’

 

On the fast he said, ’’We will go to Jai Prakash Narain Park tomorrow for fast, if they arrest us, let them. We will start a jail bharao andolan (movement to fill the jails) but we will remain non violent. We will go back to fasting when they release us from jail.’’

Hazare also had a few words to say to the Congress about the Lokpal Bill. ’’Why don’t they place the right bill in front of Parliament. We are not against Parliament. The government had assured us to they would look into our draft, but suddenly they changed their stand.’’

He added, ’’If the right Lokpal Bill comes, at least 60 to 65 percent corruption in the country will be removed. If I am proved wrong, then I will serve at Kapil Sibal’s house.’

Speaking about Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Hazare said,  ’’I was disappointed today. I used to think the Prime Minister is an honest man. But he is speaking in the same language as Kapil Sibal. Manmohan Singh is not serious about removing corruption from the country.’’

On whether he was intending to topple the government, Hazare said, "It is not important to remove the government, but if the peoples’ voices are not heard then the government may fall.’’