Team Anna moves HC, seeks place for fast

Suspense continued today over the venue of Anna Hazare's proposed 3-day fast from December 27 with NGO Jagruk Nagrik Manch filing a writ petition in the Bombay High Court seeking direction to the state government to allot a place for the protest.

The petition is likely to come up for hearing tomorrow.

"Maharashtra government is not giving us a place to protest peacefully so we had to file this petition with the Bombay High Court," Himanshu Shah, who looks after legal matters of India Against Corruption, spearheading Hazare's anti-graft protests here, told PTI.

Jagruk Nagrik Manch is an affiliate of IAC.

"When we wanted Azad maidan, we were told that we cannot sit there beyond 6 pm, and when we wanted MMRDA grounds we were asked to pay up in lakhs. We don't have that kind of money as we are a non profit making organisation," he said, adding "This seems to be an attempt by the Delhi to ensure that we don't protest."

Maintaining that Rs 3.5 lakh per day rent for MMRDA ground for Anna Hazare's fast was too steep, Team Anna had sought state government's intervention for lowering it.

IAC, which got the permission to rent the MMRDA ground here to host the next leg of Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption campaign, had on Tuesday written to chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, requesting for waiver or reduction of rent. However, the government's response is still awaited.

Earlier in the day, key Hazare aide Arvind Kejriwal had told a press conference in Ghaziabad that the anti-graft crusader will fast at Azad Maidan.