New Delhi: In a new twist to the fight against corruption, the Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh and some of his colleagues started an indefinite fast at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi to express their opposition to Anna Hazare’s fast. The HRD minister Kapil Sibal when asked about this fast said: “We strongly condemn the methodology adopted by Anna Hazare to coerce the government to accede to his demands. You cannot go on a fast and hold the government to ransom. This fast is to protest against his fast. Our first demand is that he and his supporters should come out of Tihar jail.” Kiran Bedi – one of the members of Team Anna shot back saying: “This is a clever strategy by the government. The Delhi Police was about to grant us permission to fast at Ramlila Maidan. These ministers have started their fast at the same place just to preclude that possibility. Thus our first precondition for Anna to come out of jail now would be that these ministers should end their fast and vacate the spot.”
We asked Aditya - one of the citizens near Tihar jail about his opinion on the latest drama that is unfolding. He said: “The ministers won’t end their fast until Anna leaves jail. Anna won’t leave jail until the ministers end their fast. We seem to have run into an infinite loop.” We later got to know that Aditya works as a software engineer in an IT firm.
The union Home Minister P Chidambaram who was a part of the government fasting group said: “This fast is to prove that not everyone is behind Anna Hazare. There are people supporting us too. This is a show of strength. We have been granted permission to accommodate up to 50000 people here.” Ironically there were just over 50 people participating in the government’s fast when Mr.Chidambaram was making the statement. However we got to know that a group of around 10 people sitting in the fast were of the impression that they are participating in Anna Hazare’s fast. These people who had never seen Anna Hazare, had just come from rural UP to support the anti-corruption campaign after having heard about the protests in Delhi. They left the place and went to Tihar jail after they were told that this is not the rally that they intended to attend.
The Delhi Police is planning to install signboards at different grounds in the city to educate people. These signboards would read: ‘Fast thrills but kills’. Also there were reports that additional charges of over-speeding would be slapped on Anna Hazare. However the Delhi police commissioner rubbished these claims.
Meanwhile A Raja and Suresh Kalmadi accused in 2G and CWG scams respectively have threatened to go on a fast to show their disapproval of Anna Hazare’s movement. Mr.Raja said:”Mr.Hazare’s movement is against our principles and values. He is attacking the ideals that we have fought for all our lives”
The Director General of Prisons expressed his apprehension about the space crunch at Tihar jail. He said: “There is a shortage of space here. Anna Hazare and his supporters should leave the jail immediately. There are several pending corruption cases and anybody might get arrested anytime. When that happens, where will we accommodate all the politicians?” he asked raising a very pertinent point. He also suggested opening a separate unit of Tihar jail to exclusively accommodate the elected members of the government.
In another related development, regional party leaders like Karunanidhi, Mayawati and Lalu Prasad Yadav have threatened to eat unto death if the government implements anti-corruption measures. “Corruption is my birth right” said Karunanidhi. Mayawati added: “To call corruption illegal is like saying murder, theft, extortion are illegal.” She later retracted her statement when she was promptly reminded by her secretary, Shruthi, that these were actually illegal.
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