Anna Hazare announces indefinite fast, calls it off hours later
Mumbai, Jan 29: Social activist Anna Hazare on Friday said he won't be proceeding with the indefinite fast against the new farm laws and claimed that the Central government has agreed to some of his demands.
In a statement earlier in the day, Hazare (84) had announced that he will be starting the hunger strike from his village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra on Saturday.
In that communication, Hazare had said he had written to the prime minister and Union agriculture minister five times on the plight of farmers but to no avail.
"The Union government has agreed to some of my demands and also announced setting up a committee to improve the lives of farmers. I have decided to suspend my proposed indefinite fast starting from Saturday, Hazare said.
While announcing the hunger strike, Hazare had said, "I have been demanding reforms in the agriculture sector, but the Centre doesn't seem to be taking the right decisions."
"The Centre has no sensitivity left for farmers, which is why I am starting my indefinite fast at my village from January 30," he had said and appealed to his supporters not to flock to his village district in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
Hazare, who was at the forefront of the anti- corruption movement in 2011, had recalled that when he went on a hunger strike at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, the then UPA government had called a special session of Parliament.
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Baba Siddique murder case: Special MCOCA court issues open-ended warrants against three gangsters
Mumbai: A special MCOCA court on Wednesday issued open-ended warrants against gangsters Anmol Bishnoi, Shubham Lonkar, and Yasin Akhtar in connection with the murder of former MLA Baba Siddique. The court observed that they played active roles in the crime and have remained untraceable despite multiple efforts by the investigating agency.
The prosecution had approached the court on Tuesday, seeking the warrants. Siddique, 66, was killed on October 12 near his son Zeeshan Siddique’s office in Bandra. So far, 26 suspects have been arrested in the case, and a charge sheet was submitted last month, alleging that Bishnoi ordered the murder while leading the gang.
Public prosecutor Wajeed Shaikh stated that Bishnoi had instructed the arrested accused to carry out the murder through Snapchat and also provided financial support. The prosecution also noted that an extradition request for Bishnoi had been sent to the United States in connection with an earlier firing incident at Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s residence.
Regarding Akhtar, the prosecution highlighted his contact with arrested shooters Dharmraj Kashyap, Gurmel Singh, and Shivakumar Gautam through Snapchat, Instagram, and WhatsApp. As for Lonkar, the prosecution pointed to multiple financial transactions linked to the arrested accused and described him as an active gang member.
Additionally, the prosecution revealed that Lonkar had practiced firing in Jharkhand before the murder. He, along with arrested accused Pravin Lonkar, was involved in handing over the firearm to Rupesh Mohol, who later claimed responsibility for the killing through a Facebook post.
After hearing the prosecution’s plea, the court allowed the request, stating that the three accused were directly involved in the crime and remained at large.
