Anna to come out of prison

New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) The standoff in India's Tihar
Jail likely to be over with Anna Hazare set to come out of the
prison after a night-long protest demanding that he be allowed
to launch his indefinite strike from a venue of his choice in
the capital.
Hazare, who was ordered to be released Tuesday night
after a day-long detention before he was to begin his fast
demanding strong Lokpal, had refused to come out of the prison
unless he was allowed to protest from JP Park without
conditions.
Activists Kiran Bedi and Swami Agnivesh announced to the
hundreds of supporters waiting since Tuesday night that the
73-year-old Gandhian was about to come out of the prison
anytime now.
"The government has bowed down. We will have to be
prepared to go to JP Park in a peaceful manner," Agnivesh
said.
RTI activist Akhil Gogoi said government has given enough
indications to Hazare that he can launch his protest from the
park without conditions.
However, lawyer Prashant Bhushan told reporters outside
that "we have no no information or confirmation yet whether
the government has conceded to the demands of Hazare that he
will be allowed to sit on fast in JP Park without any
conditions on the number of days".
Over the last few days, Team Hazare had refused to give a
written undertaking that he will end his protest within three
days and restrict the number of protesters to 5,000.
Hazare and seven of his aides were picked up from an east
Delhi apartment Tuesday morning hours before he was to
launch his protest fast at JP Park after Delhi Police failed
to persuade him to give it up.
Police arrested him on the ground he was about to commit a
cognisable offence but in a sudden turn of events government
decided to release him after protests erupted across the
country against its action.
Addressing the crowd outside Tihar jail, Bhushan, one of
the close associates of Hazare, said "today's protest
represents the significance of people's struggle not not just
against corruption but a shot in the arm for democracy".
Hazare continued his fast for the second consecutive day
as the government was caught in a cleft as to how to deal with
the embarrassing stand-off.
He spent the night in the administrative block of the
jail along with his associate Arvind Kejriwal.
Hundreds of people continued their vigil outside the jail
premises as Hazare made it clear that he would come out of the
prison only if he is given permission to stage the indefinite
fast.
Hazare's aide Manish Sisodia, who came out of the jail
last night, said though the Gandhian was given bail he did not
agree to the terms and conditions imposed by authorities.
To a specific question, Sisodia said Anna has told the
jail authorities that he will not leave the premises until the
police tell him the status of his application for launching a
hunger strike at the JP Park.
"He told them very clearly that he wants to sit and fast
there with his followers. So this is the status and we are
fasting here outside Tihar jail," he said.
On reports that yoga guru Ramdev will also join the
protest, he said, "I have no official confirmation but whoever
wants to join they are welcome."
When Hazare's supporters shouted slogans against Indian
HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, Sisodia said the Gandhian has given
"strict instructions" not to raise any slogans against any
person or party. PTI MPB
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