Anna-Govt confrontation escalates, permission denied for fast

New Delhi, Aug 15 (PTI) Confrontation between Anna Hazare
and Government escalated Monday with police denying permission
to the Gandhian for holding a fast from Tuesday to press for
a strong Lokpal Bill (central anti-corruption ombudsman) and
his team declaring that they would go ahead with the planned
stir and court arrest if prevented.
Delhi Police's refusal of permission coincided with Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh's strong remarks in his Independence
Day speech that hunger strikes and fasts-unto-death do not
help address the problem of corruption and Parliament is the
only body to form legislations to curb the menace.
The city police did not give its nod to hold the protest
at Jai Prakash Narain Park near Ferozeshah Kotla stadium
saying that the organisers have refused to give an undertaking
on restricting the number of days of protest and protesters
besides four other conditions.
Sudhir Yadav, Joint Commissioner of Police (Northern
Range), said anybody assembling at the Park tomorrow would
face legal action.
"We have denied the permission. Nobody is supposed to
come to the park. If somebody comes there, it is unlawful.
They will be handled according to law. If they do that, it is
violation of law," Yadav said as police prepared to lock down
the grounds.
The Hazare team said they have given an undertaking
leaving six out of the 22 conditions laid by police. "We have
not accepted six conditions as they are unconstitutional,"
activists Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi said.
The activists said Hazare would go to the venue and court
arrest if he and his supporters were not allowed to enter the
park. "We will court arrest tomorrow. The conditions laid by
the Delhi Police are unconstitutional. Unfortunately they are
under directions," Bedi said.
Kejriwal alleged that the denial of permission showed the
"dictatorial and arbitrary attitude" of government and that it
was creating an Emergency-like situation.

Asked whether they would approach court against the Delhi
Police action, Kejriwal said, "All options are open and there
is an option to go to court." Lawyer Prashant Bhushan had
Sunday said they may approach Supreme Court if the permission
is denied.
The conditions that were not accepted by the Hazare team
were capping the agitation to three days and the number of
protesters to below 5,000, government doctors to check on
Hazare, ban on use of loudspeakers after 9 PM, limiting the
number of vehicles to 50 cars and 50 motorcycles in parking
and not erecting tents.
Government, meanwhile, justified the police action with
regard to Hazare's fast. Information and Broadcasting Minister
Ambika Soni said the law of the land is the same for all and
that everybody will have to take permission to carry out any
protest.
A senior police official said they had been "very
accommodating" and had gone out of the way to help the Hazare
team. He said they would be forced to take action against them
if they forcibly enter the park Tuesday.
However, Kejriwal alleged, "The conditions set by police
were at the behest of politicians. Artificial restrictions
were imposed on us. We won't agree to such unconstitutional
methods." Soni denied these allegations.
Earlier in the day while addressing the nation on the
occasion of Independence Day, the Prime Minister said those
who are opposed to the bill should not resort to hunger
strikes and fasts-unto-death.
Without naming Hazare and his agitation beginning here
Tuesday, Singh said he was aware that some people had
different opinion on some aspects of the Lokpal bill.

"Those who don't agree with this bill can put forward
their views to Parliament, political parties and even the
press. However, I also believe they should not resort to
hunger strikes and fasts-unto-death," the Prime Minister said.
Reacting to this, the Hazare team called him an
"insensitive" person who is asking people to fall in line on
the issue.
Bedi claimed people have no trust left in the United
Progressive Alliance(UPA) government which was elected two
years back as it had "squandered" an opportunity to make
history by enacting a law for strong anti-corruption
ombudsman.
"He speaks like a final arbiter. He says you cannot
protest. This is a direct imposition of a bill on people
against their will. The Prime Minister is imposing a bill on
the country and saying protest fast is wrong. The PM is asking
people to fall in line," Bedi told PTI.
"He is insensitive to people's perception. Surveys after
surveys and referendums after referendums showed that people
rejected the government's Lokpal Bill. He is not taking this
into account," she alleged.
Supporting the Hazare team on the issue, senior Communist
Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Brinda Karat said one's
right to protest cannot be questioned even if you do not agree
with the demands of the agitator.
"The point here is one may not agree with the form of
protest or with all the demands being raised by Hazare.
However, his right to protest cannot be questioned. Saying
once a bill is in Parliament, there can be no protest in this
country is highly undemocratic.
"The Congress has forgotten when it was in opposition and
when it is in Opposition, even in the states there are so many
occasions they do not agree with a bill and they have staged a
protest," she said.