Hazare on hunger strike from Jan 30 to protest against non-appointment of Lokpal, Lokayukta

Social activist and anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Saturday announced that he would launch a hunger strike from January 30 at his village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra to protest against the Centre's failure to implement the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013.

Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government for delaying the appointment of a competent Lokpal, Hazare said: "Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act was made in 2013. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP government came to power in 2014."

"We felt that something will be done now, but they did nothing in the last around five years. So I have decided to go on a hunger strike from January 30 at my village Ralegan Siddhi."

"Eight times this Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill came in the Parliament but no one was interested in it because it gives power to common men. In 2011, when the people came together and asked for it, then they had to pass it in 2013," he said.

"Since then, they have been deliberately not implementing it. I still have faith in the Supreme Court, which has scolded the Centre several times to appoint Lokpal and recently asked them to file an affidavit in this regard. If the government is not following the decisions of constitutional institutions, then the country is going towards dictatorship," he said.

Speaking about the letter that he recently wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Anna said that since the Central government was cheating the countrymen, "that is why I sent a letter to the Prime Minister."

"As important legislations like Lokpal and Lokayukta have not been implemented, it is hard to tolerate repeated lies of the government. Therefore, I have decided to take a step forward in this direction. I will sit on a hunger strike from the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi," he said.

Hazare said that if the Lokpal would have been appointed, then cases like Rafale would have not occurred. "It is a revolutionary bill under which every officer would be investigated if citizens complain about them," he said.

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Lokpal Search Committee to complete its task of short-listing the names for Lokpal by February end and submit the list for consideration to the Selection Committee. The apex court will hear the plea on March 7.