Hazare's health deteriorates, government silent on demands

Even as there was no response from the central government to his demands, the health parameters of social activist Anna Hazare deteriorated on Wednesday, the sixth day of his hunger strike in support of his demands.

Hazare's blood pressure was high and sugar levels low, making him feel exhausted, his doctor Dhanajay Pote told reporters.

"When Anna ji's check-up was done at 3 p.m., his blood pressure had gone up to 186/100. Also, the blood sugar level was low, as per Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital doctors," Pote said who has come from Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra to monitor the social activist's health.

Hazare's routine press conference fixed for 5 p.m. was called off as he faced difficulty in speaking, Pote added.

Though Hazare said on Tuesday that the Centre would come up with an action plan on his demands on Wednesday, there was no formal communication from authorities during the day, said Sushil Bhatt, a core committee member of Team Anna.

Hazare has been pressing for the setting up of a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the states to probe corruption cases, bring in new electoral reforms and implementation of the M.S. Swaminathan Committee report to address the agrarian crisis in the country.

According to informed sources, the government is ready to accept almost all of the demands but it has reservations about the implementation of the demands in a time-bound manner.

A former Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nana Patole, who resigned from the Lok Sabha last year and joined the Congress, called on Hazare on Wednesday.

After a surge in the number of protesters a day earlier, there was a visible drop on Wednesday as roughly 2,000 persons were seen at the protest site at the Ramlila Maidan here.

Bhatt said the numbers will increase to 10,000 on Thursday when many farmers will arrive in Delhi to join the hunger strike.

Also, members of Team Anna said they tried to hold a march at Connaught Place in central Delhi on Wednesday evening to sensitise people about the ongoing protest but were detained by police.

--IANS

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