NEW DELHI: Social reformer Anna Hazare on Friday started an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Ram Lila Maidan in Delhi, nearly seven years after his anti-corruption movement shook the then Central government led by prime minister Manmohan Singh in 2011. Hitting out at the Narendra Modi led government, Anna called all politicians ‘fraud’. “Farmers are suffering and politicians are not capable to rule people. I will fight till the last breath,” he said.
Earlier in the day, he had blamed the Central government for cancelling trains in which the protestors were heading to Delhi. “You cancelled trains carrying protesters to Delhi, you want to push them to violence. Police force deployed for me as well. I wrote in many letters that I don’t need police protection. Your protection won’t save me. This sly attitude of the government is not done,” Hazare claimed.
Hazare has also been accusing the Centre of not appointing the Lokpal to investigate the cases of corruption, despite having a law in place. Before starting his protest, he visited the Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. He then went to Shaheedi Park to pay tribute to martyrs and then proceeded to Ramlila Maidan, the iconic place where he held a massive protest and hunger strike against corruption in 2011.
March 23 has been chosen as the date to begin the fast as Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged to death on this day by the British. The organisers are claiming that thousands of people will attend the protest.
