New Delhi: The Delhi Police have refused permission to Annasaheb Hazare, who has broken away from Lok Pal Bill drafting Committee along with 4 other Civil group members on Monday, and opted to held his hunger strike again in New Delhi, to hold it. In view of this refusal, Hazare has moved his venue from Jantar Mantar to Raj Ghat where BJP had held its one-day public protest against police atrocities committed at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday midnight by Delhi police under instructions from AICC chief Sonia Gandhi and PM Manmohan Singh. Hazare revealed on Tuesday that he wanted to avoid Confrontation with powers that be, and decided to shift the venue of his second hunger strike to Raj Ghat.
The announcement came from his civil group associates Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan, besides former top cap Ms. Kiran Bedi. They contended that the peaceful protest has been denied to them. It was against basic constitutional rights of citizens, they stated. But Hazare’s day-long hunger strike was only against the Delhi Police crackdown on Ramdev and his followers sleeping at Ramlila Maidan with no Weapons in their fight to remove Corruption in public life.
Hazare’s protest begins at 10 Am on June 8 near Raj Ghat. The protest will have fasting by participants, an all-religion prayer meeting and a debate on ensuing Jan Pal Bill. Prashant (an advocate) informed that B.K. Gupta, Delhi Police Commissioner did not permit sitting at Jantar Mantar in strike, as the venue in New-Delhi was under Sn.144 of IPC, but Raj Ghat was not Kejriwal (a social worker) explained that the protestors did not want to confront anyone, and it was peaceful in its intention.
Both associates of Hazare agreed that people would resort to other means to express themselves if permission at Raj Ghat was denied for freedom of speech enshrined on Indian Constitution.