Hazare to fast in Delhi if Lok Pal Act not implemented

Social activist Anna Hazare on Friday said he would go on an indefinite fast in New Delhi in March if the central government does not implement the Lok Pal Act to eliminate corruption across the country.

"I will sit on an indefinite fast in New Delhi from March 23 if the Lok Pal Act is not implemented. I will continue the fast if am arrested and put in jail if the Union government does not implement the Lok Pal Act against corruption," he told reporters at a function in Aralikatti hamlet near Baihongal in this northern district.

Though Parliament passed the Lok Pal and Lok Ayuktas Bill in 2013, the central or state governments have so far not set up the anti-corruption ombudsman (Lok Pal) or Lok Ayuktas in the states which do not have them.

"The Modi government has been talking about fighting corruption over the last three years but has not taken any step to have the Lok Pal institution to check corruption," said Hazare.

"Even demonetisation of higher currency notes has not curbed corruption. Modi has failed to achieve his goal of making the country corruption-free," he added.

Regretting suicides by farmers across the country due to agrarian crisis, Hazare said neither the central nor state governments were doing anything to mitigate the hardships in the farm sector.

"I have written 10 letters to Modi to introduce an effective Lok Pal system to root out corruption. I have also written 22 letters to him urging him to solve problems faced by farmers. He has not responded to any of them," he said.

On Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde's recent statement that the NDA government would change the basic structure of the Constitution, Hazare said no one had right to change it (Constitution) or even talk about changing it.

"If somebody like Hegde said he would change the Constitution, he needs to referred to a mental hospital for treatment," added Hazare.

Hegde, a Lok Sabha lawmaker from Uttar Kannada district in northwest Karnataka, however, withdrew his statement subsequently.

--IANS

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