Anna Hazare on Thursday decided to associate himself with Baba Ramdev’s hungerstrike with a warning that he should not be swayed by government’s overtures because it plays “fraud” by first agreeing to demands and then backing out.
Mr Hazare, who rattled the government in April through his fast for a stronger Lokpal that generated widespread nationwide support, said all those fighting against corruption should not be satisfied with the oral assurances of the government.
Mr Hazare said he would join Ramdev at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, where he is to sit on a fast-unto-death protest, on Sunday, emphasising that there was no divide in the civil society on the issue of corruption.
“I will support Ramdev so that the government does not do what it did when we were fighting. We will fight together against corruption,” he said.
Mr Hazare criticised on Wednesday’s extraordinary step by the government to send four senior ministers, including finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, to Delhi airport to receive Ramdev and talk to him there.
“There was no need for so many ministers to go. One or two ministers would have been enough for the talks. When so many ministers go, it means there is a plan of fraud. Sign papers, make promises, all this is to pass time,” he said.
“Once the time passes, they (government) will do what they want to. When I went on fast, it reached such a stage that the government conceded to all our demands to save itself. Now, they have backed out,” Mr Hazare said.
He was referring to the question of bringing Prime Minister under the purview of Lokpal, which he claimed the government had agreed to earlier but now disfavours.
Claiming that the government has “cheated” activists on the issue of Lokpal and people have realised the “betrayal” by the government, Mr Hazare said, “it is a fraud if the government agrees on certain issues and say the Prime Minister will be accountable under Lokpal and later backs out.”
Mr Hazare also noted that the yoga guru has a standing in the public and wherever he goes people gather to hear him.
“Baba Ramdev has been raising the issue of black money from so many days. Why did the government not think of doing something on the issue? People have now come to know what the intentions of the government are. —PTI