Hazare ready to consider alternative venue for his stir

Anna Hazare today said he was ready to consider Delhi Police's suggestion to opt for a site other than Jantar Mantar here for his indefinite fast on Lok Pal Bill issue from August 16 if all facilities were provided for people to join his protest.

"If you don't let us protest at Jantar Mantar, then tell us another suitable place? If there is some good place where there are facilities for all the people who join the protest, then we have no problems.

"The issue is that corruption needs to be rooted out. We are not worried about the venue," Hazare, who reached Delhi this afternoon, said, adding that he was ready to think about an alternative site.

Hazare's remarks came as Delhi Police suggested that he look for an alternative site in the city's outskirts like Burari in North Delhi or Ajmal Khan Park in West Delhi if he wants to go ahead with his protest for more than a day.

Reacting to the Lok Pal Bill cleared by the Union Cabinet last Thursday, he said the legislation was weak. "This is cheating. People will teach them a lesson," he said.

He said his protest from August 16 is not against Parliament but against the "weak bill".

Delhi Police has said they have not taken a final view on giving permission to Hazare's protest at Jantar Mantar and are awaiting reply from his team on certain points raised by it.