Anna Hazare will first visit the Rajghat and then come to the Ram Lila Maidan, where he will go an indefinite hunger strike. (Express File Photo/Oinam Anand)
Almost seven years after leading an anti-corruption movement which became one of the main reasons for UPA’s debacle, activist Anna Hazare will on Friday go on an indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi demanding anti-graft regulations. Like 2011, he will be protesting at Ramlila Maidan which had also then witnessed seeds of a new political party — the Aam Aadmi Party. On Thursday, the 80-year-old activist took a round of the Ramlila Maidan.
This time around, however, Anna Hazare’s then aides Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi will not be there by his side. Hazare, who has been pressing for the setting up of the Lokpal at Centre and Lokayuktas in states, is likely to target the Narendra Modi government for failing to deliver. In the past, the Maharashtra-based activist had accused the Union government of not appointing the Lokpal to investigate the cases of corruption, despite having a law in place.
A core committee meeting of Hazare’s trusted aides and representatives of farmers’ organisations also took place at the New Maharashtra Sadan on Thursday, PTI reported. Hazara is expected to focus on the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report which suggests ways to address agrarian distress.
The choice of date to begin the fast is also significant. “Anna will first visit the Rajghat and then come to the Ram Lila Maidan, where he will go an indefinite strike,” an aide of Hazare told PTI on Thursday. March 23 was chosen on purpose as Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged to death on this day by the British, he added.
The Delhi Traffic Police has issued an advisory warning commuters to avoid taking routes towards Aruna Asaf Ali Road, Delhi Gate, Darya Ganj, New Delhi Railway Station, Ajmeri Gate, Paharganj, ITO, Rajghat, Minto Road, Vivekanand Marg, and JLN Marg. Hazare and his supporters will first visit the Rajghat and then they will march to Shaheedi Park and then to Ramlila Maidan.
