New Delhi: Seven years after his anti-corruption movement that shook the then Congress-led UPA government, social activist Anna Hazare on Friday launched an indefinite hungerstrike demanding appointment of a Lokpal at the Centre.
He sat on hungerstrike on Friday at the iconic Ramlila Maidan, the same venue as his protest in 2011. However, this time, his target is expected to be the Narendra Modi-led government.
A core committee meeting of Mr Hazare’s trusted aides and representatives of farmers’ organisations took place at the New Maharashtra Sadan earlier on Thursday.
Mr Hazare has been pressing his demand for setting up of Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the states besides implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report, which has suggested ways to address the agrarian distress.
Mr Hazare had previously accused the Union government of not appointing a Lokpal to investigate the cases of corruption, despite having a law in place.
According to one of his aides, the day of commencement of the strike — March 23 — has been chosen on purpose. The British government ruling India hanged Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev to death on this very day.
The 2011 anti-graft agitation by Mr Hazare had received the support of millions of people across the country. Some of the main organisers behind that anti-corruption movement later formed the AAP, which now governs Delhi. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was one of Mr Hazare’s key aides.
