Centre not serious about drafting effective Lokpal Bill: Anna

“After incidents of last night,it clearly shows the government’s intentions on crushing corruption. Hence,we have decided not to attend the joint meeting on Lokpal Bill tomorrow,” he said.

The social activist also said that he will lead one-day fast at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on June 8 to protest police action on Ramdev’s agitation.

However,Hazare said he has ‘some issues’ with the yoga guru and would not share the dais with him at Jantar Mantar.

If govt does not take a lesson,a bigger agitation will be launched; there has to be second freedom struggle,Hazare said.

Condemning the crackdown on yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his supporters at Delhi’s Ramlila ground,he said that the misbehaviour on the part of the government has killed the very purpose of democracy in the nation.

Hazare insisted that Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh must answer to the people.

At around 1 a.m.,close to 600 policemen had arrived at Delhi’s Ramlila ground to demand that Baba Ramdev and the crowd of 60,000 supporters must disperse. Their argument was that the gathering had been granted permission only for a yoga camp and not a mass demonstration.

The talks between the Central Government and Ramdev crashed last night with both sides citing betrayal.

The cabinet ministers,who were making all attempts to persuade Ramdev to give up his fast said that he had promised he would end his fast last evening. A letter was produced in this regard.

Ramdev,however,said the government was lying,and added that the letter had been conditional upon the government agreeing to his list of demands.

Ramdev had started his indefinite ‘fast-unto-death’ stir on Saturday to demand several radical reforms in the prevailing political system,including a death penalty for corrupt officials.