Lokpal Bill war: Anna heads to MMRDA Ground

Mangalore Today /NDTV

Mumbai, Dec 27:  Anna Hazare is on his way to Mumbai’s MMRDA Grounds to begin his three-day fast for the Lokpal Bill.   At 9.30 am, he headed out of the government guesthouse in Bandra where he spent the night after driving into Mumbai from his hometown of Ralegan Siddhi.  Anna looked tired. He is recovering from viral fever.  His doctors say he has a cough and cold.  The 74-year-old activist has rejected his aides’ request to cancel his hunger strike.

 

 

As he headed to Juhu to pay tribute to a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, a group of 20 men waved black flags at him and shouted anti-Anna slogans.  They have not been identified yet.

At Juhu, Anna asked for a mattress so that he could sit in meditation before Gandhi’s statue.   He was escorted by his inner circle aides like Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, Manish Sisodia and Kiran Bedi.

From there, he headed to MMRDA Grounds, escorted by Royal Enfield bikers who hope to help Anna beat the traffic. 

The rally will pass through Santacruz, Tulip Star hotel, Mithibai College, S V Road, Vile Parle, Khar and Bandra Highway.

As Anna sets up camp at MMRDA Ground, with a crowd that’s expected to run into thousands, Parliament will debate the Lokpal Bill that he has described as toothless.  The debate, earlier scheduled to begin at 11 am, has now been pushed to 2 pm.

Online, nearly 1.40 lakh people have signed on for Anna’s jail bharo agitation (to register, log onto jailchalo.com).  Anna’s three-day fast will shift to this civil disobedience movement.  And then he plans to campaign against the Congress in the states that vote soon, like Uttar Pradesh.

 

Anna Hazare Shown Black Flags


A handful of anti-Anna Hazare protesters today showed black flags to the anti-graft campaigner, who is set to begin his three-day fast here against the “weak” Lokpal Bill.

 

The convoy of Hazare, on way to Mahatma Gandhi’s statue on Juhu beach, was briefly stopped by around 20 men carrying black flags and national tricolour and shouting “Anna Hazare murdabad”, close to the guest house where the activist stayed overnight.

The identity of the protesters was not immediately known.

 

Over One Lakh Netizens Pledge To Court Arrest To Back Anna Hazare


The online campaign of Anna Hazare’s ’Jail Bharo Andolan’ has received over a lakh registrations within three days of the launch, an India Against Corruption (IAC) volunteer said TOI on Monday.

The IAC, an umbrella organisation, launched the online campaign jailchalo.com Friday which allowed people to register themselves for courting arrest and supporting Hazare in his protest for a strong Lokpal.

"About 1.1 lakh people registered in 72 hours for upcoming ’Jail Bharo Andolan’. We never expected such a response but now we are confident that in two more days we’ll have at least five lakh registrations from all over the country," said Shivendra Singh Chauhan, an IAC volunteer.

"People from all over the country can register for voluntary imprisonment and show solidarity with the national campaign against corruption," Chauhan said.

As soon as the online campaign was launched, Kiran Bedi tweeted: "Anna wants to know if you’re willing to go to jail. The 74-year-old activist is unleashing a civil disobedience movement and wants people to court arrest to protest against the government for introducing a Lokpal bill that he finds weak."

Hazare will sit on a three-day fast from Dec 27 at MMRDA ground in Mumbai. He will start his ’Jail Bharo Andolan’ from Dec 30 that will continue till Jan 1.