Anna Hazare begins hunger strike over Lokpal
Ralegan Siddhi (Maha), Jan 30 : Social activist Anna Hazare began a hunger strike on Wednesday over "non-fulfilment" of assurances by the Centre and the Maharashtra government on the appointment of Lokpal and passage of the Lokayukta Act in the state.
Hazare offered prayers at the Padmavati Temple in his village Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra in the morning. He then went in a procession, accompanied by students, youths and farmers, to the Yadavbaba Temple and sat near it to begin his hunger strike.
The anti-corruption crusader told PTI that he welcomed the Maharashtra Cabinet's decision to bring the office of state chief minister under the jurisdiction of Lokayukta.
"However, the strike will continue till the government fulfils promises they made before coming to power about passage of Lokayukta Act, appointment of Lokpal and to tackle farmers' issues," he said.
As a routine procedure, doctors conducted a basic health check-up of Hazare, a close aide of the activist said.
"Hazare has now begun his fast as he is disappointed with the state government for not appointing the Lokayukta," the aide said
Hazare had written a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday, saying he would launch the agitation in his village from Wednesday.
Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan, who has been acting as an emissary between the government and Hazare, on Tuesday urged the activist to cancel the agitation, claiming that almost all the demands made by him were fulfilled.
"His first demand was implementing Swaminathan Commission recommendations, that farmers should get 1.5 times MSP. I think that demand has been fulfilled," Mahajan had told reporters in Mumbai.
Hazare, however, said he would not call off the agitation till the Lokayukta Act becomes a reality.
Apart from the appointment of Lokpal at the national level and Lokayukta in states, Hazare has been demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations and some electoral reforms.
"It has been five years since the Lokpal Act was passed. Yet the Narendra Modi government has not appointed Lokpal...Lokayukta Act has not been passed in Maharashtra for four years," Hazare observed in his letter dated January 28.
The activist said the chief minister had mediated when he had launched the agitation at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi in March last year. Hazare said he had withdrawn that agitation after the central government had assured in writing that it would fulfil the demands.
"Nine months have passed, yet the demands have not been fulfilled. Hence, I will be on hunger strike in my village Ralegan Siddhi on January 30," he had said in the letter.
The Fadnavis Cabinet had on Tuesday decided to bring the office of chief minister under the jurisdiction of Lokayukta.
Hazare had welcomed the government's decision to set rolling the process to appoint Lokayukta.
"I thank them on behalf of the people for taking the decision towards appointment of Lokayukta through a constitutional process. But, that does not mean I will not stage hunger strike. The agitation will go on until the Act is in place," he had said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Ahmedabad, Apr 25: The Gujarat Congress on Friday suspended from the party for six years its Surat Lok Sabha candidate Nilesh Kumbhani, whose nomination form was rejected over discrepancies leading to the BJP's Mukesh Dalal getting elected unopposed.
A statement from the Congress said the party's disciplinary committee decided to suspend Kumbhani after thorough discussion, adding it had come to the conclusion that the nomination form was rejected due to gross negligence on his part or "in connivance with the BJP".
"To be fair to you we have given time to you to explain your case but instead of coming before the party disciplinary committee you have gone incommunicado. After your form was rejected by the authorities, BJP went ahead and got form of other eight candidates withdrawn. This has deprived people of Surat their voting rights," the Congress disciplinary committee headed by Balu Patel said.
"People of Surat and party workers have become very angry due to your action and are expressing their anger in different ways. The Congress party has decided to suspend you for six years from the party," the press note said.
Kumbhani's nomination form was rejected on April 21 after his three proposers submitted affidavits to the district returning officer claiming the signatures on the document was not theirs.
The nomination form of Suresh Padsala, the Congress' substitute candidate from Surat, was also invalidated on the same grounds.
In his order, Returning Officer Sourabh Pardhi said the three nomination forms submitted by Kumbhani and Padsala were rejected after prima facie discrepancy was found in the signatures of the proposers and they did not appear to be genuine.
Kumbhani, a former corporator from Surat, had unsuccessfully fought the 2022 Assembly polls from Kamrej there.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed from Surat Lok Sabha constituency on April 22 after all other nominees, including one from BSP, withdrew from the fray one by one on the last day of withdrawing papers.
