Social Activist Anna Hazare today, Wednesday, January 30, begins his fast for the formation of Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the states, at Ralegan Siddhi. I will begin my hunger strike from my Lokvillage Ralegan Siddhi. However, I will not be fasting against a party or a person. I will be protesting for the betterment of the nation,” said Anti Corruption Crusader Hazare on Tuesday.
He is also demanding to implement Swaminathan Committee Recommendations. AAP govt in Delhi to implement MSP for farmers based on Swaminathan Committee Report
#Maharashtra: Anna Hazare begins his fast for the formation of Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the states, at Ralegan Siddhi. pic.twitter.com/mICrZoq9xt
— ANI (@ANI) January 30, 2019
Hazare said, it has been almost 5 years but Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Centre government is making excuses. He added, ‘I will be protesting for the betterment of the nation’
Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan, who has been acting as an emissary between the government and the activist, urged Hazare to cancel the agitation, claiming that almost all the demands made by the activist have been fulfilled. Hazare, however, said he would not call off the agitation till the Lokayukta Act becomes a reality.
Anna Hazare has also written a Letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis saying that Maharashtra Government has only given assurances for the Implementation of Lokpal and Lokayukta Law of 2014, but never implement it.
Earlier on December 1, Hazare had warned to launch a protest against the non-appointment of Lokpal and Lokayukta. He has also written to Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Jitendra Singh accusing the government of delaying the appointment in the states and continuously making accuses.
In his Letter to Jitendra Singh, he stated that “The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act was passed in 2013. People of the country were hopeful about the appointment of Lokpal and Lokayukta to arrest widespread corruption. However, there was a change of power and Narendra Modi government came to power. After Modi government came to power, we wrote thirty times to the government for appointment of Lokpal, Lokayuktas. However, [Narendra] Modi ji did not even send a reply“.
Social Activist, Anna Hazare, 81, had earlier said that if the Lokpal would have been appointed, then cases like Rafale would not have occurred. “It is a revolutionary bill under which every officer will be investigated if citizens complaint against them,” he said.
While an 8 member search panel to appoint Lokpal had on Tuesday held its first meeting, nearly 4 months after it was set up by the government. The Committee headed by Former Supreme Court Judge Ranjana Prakash Desai includes — former chief of State Bank of India (SBI) Arundhati Bhattacharya, former ISRO head A S Kiran Kumar, former Allahabad High Court Judge Sakha Ram Singh Yadav, Prasar Bharati chairperson A Surya Prakash, former Gujarat Police chief Shabbirhusein S Khandwawala, retired IAS officer (Rajasthan cadre) Lalit K Panwar, and former Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar.
On January 4, The Supreme Court had expressed disappointment over the slow pace of the functioning of the Search panel. The Top Court had directed the Centre to ‘put on record’ steps taken to appoint Lokpal by January 17