Weekend brings some respite for Team Anna

Setting the tone for his fast, Hazare attacked the Congress and BJP saying the country's future does not lie safe in their hands and talked about the need for a political alternative in the 2014 elections, during which he will campaign for those with clean background selected by people.

However, he declared he will not contest the elections or form a party.

He also accused the government of cheating the people repeatedly on Lokpal and said he was forced to fast again and again, which is "not a happy thing".

"I will fight for Jan Lokpal till I die", said Hazare, whose four-day ultimatum to government on a decision on his demands ends today or else he goes on fast.

 

Hours later his close aide Arvind Kejriwal appealed to Hazare not to sit on fast citing his health. "His health is not well. We lost Mahatma Gandhi at a wrong time, We lost Jaiprakash Narayan early and we cannot afford to lose Anna now. So I request Anna not to fast," he said.

Hazare and Kejriwal spoke on a similar vein on the low turnout at the venue attacking political parties and the media.

While Hazare took a dig at parties saying even during election rallies major portions of venues remain empty, his aide targeted the media alleging they do not have the courage to highlight "flop shows" of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

"People say Anna has flopped. There is a design to make Anna flop. Corrupt people are hoping that Anna flops. If Anna flops, the country will flop," he said while Hazare noted, "the colour of your spectacle determines the colour you see." MORE