Social crusader Anna Hazare on Tuesday said he would resume his agitation for an effective Lokpal (ombudsman) bill with the Oct 13 Hisar Lok Sabha by-election in Haryana.
"Depending on my schedules, I shall go to Hisar and hold a couple of public meetings in Hisar. If not, I shall send a video message to the people of Hisar explaining how the Congress has blocked the Jan Lokpal bill and urge them not to vote for it," Hazare declared in his village in Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district.
To force the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to live up to its promise of a strong Jan Lokpal bill, Team Anna's version of the Lokpal bill, this will be followed by taking the movement to Uttar Pradesh where assembly elections are due.
"If, as the UPA has assured, the bill is not passed during the ensuing winter session of parliament, we shall name the Congress and urge the people not to vote for it," Hazare asserted.
Three days before the actual polling in Uttar Pradesh, Hazare said he would sit on a three-day hunger strike in Lucknow to create awareness on the bill and the attempts by the Congress to scuttle it.
However, Hazare added that there would be no point in agitating against the Congress if the Jan Lokpal bill is passed. Instead, they would appeal to the people to check the antecedents of the candidates and vote for the good ones only.