Hazare throws his weight behind Ramdev, to join agitation

Ralegan Siddhi (Maharashtra), June 2 (PTI) Accusing
the government of cheating civil right activists on the issue
of Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare on Thursday extended his support
to yoga guru Ramdev's fast against corruption and said he will
join the agitation.
The Gandhian said that the government lacks intention
to root out corruption from the system.
"I will join Baba Ramdev on June 5. The fight is
against corruption. The government has tried to cheat us. The
government had assured us that they would look into our
demand," he said, adding that he would hold discussions with
the yoga guru on the way forward.
He said the government has "cheated" civil right
activists on the issue of Lokpal Bill and people have realised
the betrayal by the government.
"I will support Baba Ramdev so that the government
does not do what it did when we were fighting. We will fight
together against corruption," he said, ading that "henceforth,
we will not be content with oral assurances on the issue of
weeding out corruption".
Hazare also noted that the yoga guru has a standing in
the public and wherever he goes people gather to hear him.
His remarks came a day after Finance Minister Pranab
Mukherjee accompanied by Kapil Sibal, Pawan Kumar Bansal and
Subodh Kant Sahay held talks with Ramdev on Wednesday to
persuade him to give up his indefinite fast on corruption but
the yoga guru said he would go ahead with it from June 4.
Government's efforts to prevent a repeat of a
situation that evolved when Hazare-led civil society mounted a
campaign for a strong Lokpal in April appeared to have not
yielded immediate fruits as Ramdev insisted on "action" rather
than "assurances" on the issue of bringing back black money
stashed abroad.
Hazare also made it clear that everybody should come
under the ambit of the Lokpal Bill.
He said the government was getting its act together
now only after Ramdev made it clear that he would start his
agitation from June 4.
"For so many days we are demanding (immediate
implementation of the Lokpal Bill), why did the government not
listen to us. Now the government is running just because time
has to come to sit on fast, he said.
"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," he said.
Hazare said the fight against corruption will continue
till their demands are met.
"Now no more hollow assurances and oral promises. What
we want is action and the fight against corruption will
continue throughout the country till we get what we want," he
said.