As Hazare fasts,followers keep ‘sympathetic’ politicians at bay

As soon as the leaders arrived,Hazare’s supporters shouted slogans and prevented them from going on the dais and discussing issues with the 72-year-old activist.

The leaders beat a hasty retreat without meeting Hazare.

Hazare,however,did not agree with his supporters’ actions and said he was protesting in a Gandhian way and their behaviour should be in line with those principles.

“We have said this is a Gandhian protest. We should listen to all views. If somebody comes and talks to us,let them. We should listen to them,” Hazare said.

Undaunted by this open rebuke by Anna Hazare’s supporters,Opposition politicians however continued to use the Gandhian’s fast as a beating stick to chastise the government with.

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley urged the UPA government to take Hazare’s fast-unto-death seriously.

“The Congress party and the UPA government should take this fast seriously and not take it to be merely politically motivated,” Jaitley told reporters here.

“Fighting corruption is a must and the government should talk to all concerned for bringing up the Lok Pal Bill in Parliament,” the senior BJP leader said.

BJP has itself launched an anti-corruption campaign today.

“The huge response to Hazare’s fast shows that people are getting restless on the corruption issue and the government should respond,” he added.

CPI(M) too extended its support to Hazare’s fast-unto-death pressing for a comprehensive Lokpal Bill,saying there should be an effective law to deal with corruption.

“The government should consult all political parties,organisations,prominent persons before drafting or enacting the legislation,” party General Secretary Prakash Karat told reporters here.

Karat said the party had already voiced its opinion that the draft Bill in the present form was inadequate. “If the government was committed to fighting corruption,an effective legislation was needed and the corrupt should be punished,” he said.