Anna fast enters 5th day; awaits Govt call for dialogue

Anna Hazare’s fast demanding a strong Lokpal entered the fifth day on Saturday with his Team saying they were ready to talk to the government but no such communication channels have been opened.

Mr. Hazare came to the podium at around 10 a.m. as supporters started pouring in Ramlila Maidan where he launched his protest on Friday after coming out of Tihar Jail.

The 73-year-old anti-corruption crusader alleged the funds in government treasuries were being threatened not by thieves but from those guard it and the country is being threatened by these traitors.

“Why should we fight? The funds in government treasuries are ours. The treasuries are not threatened by thieves but by those who guards it. The country is not betrayed by enemies but by these traitors,” the social activist said.

He said he has lost three-and-half kg in the last four days. “I feel a little weak. But there is nothing to worry about it. The fight will go on till we get a strong Lokpal,” Mr. Hazare said in his brief address to the gathering.

His close associate Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia said the Team was ready to talk to the government on the issue of Lokpal Bill but no one has approached them.

“We are ready to talk to the government but there is no communication from their side. Where should we go to talk and whom should we talk to?” Mr. Kejriwal and Mr. Sisodia said.

Mr. Hazare had on Friday raised the political stakes by giving a deadline to the government to pass the Jan Lokpal bill by August 30 failing which he would continue his fast “till my last breath”.

Anna Hazare will leave Tihar jail only when Ramlila ground is ready

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New Delhi: Anna Hazare's health continues to be a matter of national concern. Addressing reporters outside Tihar jail, member of Team Anna, Arvind Kejriwal, said a team of doctors would check on Anna Hazare just before his release from hospital. These reportedly would consist of doctors from a government hospital and those from Naresh Trehan's Vedanta Medicity.

''Anna Hazare's health is fine. A medical team from GB Pant hospital visited him on Wednesday evening. But he said that when jail doctors are taking care of him he does not need another medical team?''

Kejriiwal added that a medical team would be with Anna at all times, and that the Ramlila ground was being made ready for the Gandhian's purported fast to end corruption.

''The Ramlila ground is being prepared. Only when it is ready to go, will Anna come out of Tihar jail. As things stands today, MCD has to prepare the grounds since it is full of muck. The ground has to be made ready because if the crowd reaches Ramlila grounds before we reach, it will be difficult to set up tents for them.

On Wednesday, defying the Delhi Police's earlier diktats, Anna Hazare had courted arrest demanding that he be allowed to fast without any conditions. After a late night meeting with the Delhi Police Commissioner B K Gupta, Team Anna said that the Gandhian had decided to accept the city police's offer permitting him to stage his protest for 14 days which could be extended later.

NDTV

Uttarakhand cops plead for protection from Tihar inmates

Till a while ago, they were supposed to protect citizens from criminals. Now, however, the tables have turned.

Seven Uttarakhand policemen, who are in Tihar Jail for their alleged involvement in the killing of an MBA student in a fake encounter in July 2009, have knocked the doors of a city court asking for orders to the prison authorities to ensure their well-being inside the jail premises and also while being produced in the court.

Moving a bunch of applications before Special CBI Judge V K Maheshwari, the policemen expressed threats to their life and safety from other inmates in Tihar, and while travelling in the same van with these “hardcore” criminals to a Tis Hazari court for hearings.

The applications were moved by accused Santosh Kumar Jaiswal, Gopal Dutt Bhatt, Rajesh Bisht, Neeraj Kumar, Nitin Chauhan, Chander Mohan Singh Rawat and Ajit Singh — all Uttarakhand Police personnel who were forced to surrender before the city court after their bail was cancelled by the Supreme Court in March.

“They are lodged in Tihar and are being transported to the court in a common vehicle along with other prisoners. They all have apprehensions that other prisoners are likely to cause harm to them by inflicting injuries and hence separate arrangement of their transportation from jail to court and vice versa may be made. Separate arrangement of their lodging in jail be also made,” the judge read out from their applications.

Taking their plea on record, Special Judge Maheshwari then forwarded the plea to the jail superintendent concerned and asked him to see if their requests could be allowed as per rules.

“Jail superintendents are directed to look into the matter and take all measures for their safety in jail and providing a separate van while commuting to and from the court as per the rules,” said the judge.

MBA student from Ghaziabad Ranveer Singh had gone to search for a job in Dehradun when he was allegedly picked up by Dehradun police officials on July 2, 2009. He was allegedly gunned down on July 3. Investigation of the case was handed over to the CBI on a request by the Uttarakhand government. The agency in its preliminary report had stated that the encounter was fake.

INDIANEXPRESS