Anna threatens to court arrest if Lokpal not passed

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Social activist Anna Hazare on a day-long fast here on Sunday threatened to intensify his anti-corruption protests by courting arrest if the government fails to pass a law for a strong Lokpal in India.

"The government should listen to the voice of the people. Agitation will continue for a strong Lokpal," Hazare said in his brief speech at Jantar Mantar, the protest venue, in the presence of leaders of various political parties debating in favour of an effective ombudsman.

Hazare told the politicians - including Arun Jaitley of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Brinda Karat of the Communist Party of India-Marxist and A.B. Bardhan of the Communist Party of India -- to fight for a strong Lokpal inside the parliament and force the government to pass an effective law.

"You fight inside parliament, we will fight outside. If the government disagrees you should join us in street protests," he said.

He said if the Lokpal bill was not passed in the winter session, his supporters would intensify their protests and let themselves get arrested to fill the jails of India. "Not a single jail should be left empty," he said, to a thunderous applause from his supporters.

The politicians earlier backed Hazare on having a strong ombudsman with the prime minister under its ambit but cautioned him not to be rigid on his version of the bill.