New Delhi:
At a packed press conference at Constitutional Club, in the national capital on Monday, social activist Anna Hazare said, ''I am starting my fast tomorrow. It is just the start of a struggle for change. We have to fight a long battle. It's going to be a fight to bring about change in India.''
Hazare, who was speaking on the eve of his fast on August 16, said that he had no fear of the police restrictions. The Delhi Police had said it will impose Section 144 at Jai Prakash Narain Park to prevent Hazare and his followers from entering.
Regarding the police action Hazare said, ''We will go to Jai Prakash Narain Park on Tuesday for the fast, if they arrest us, let them. We will start a
jail bharo andolan (movement to fill jails) but will remain non violent We will go back to fasting when they will release us from jail.
After Hazare's press conference the Delhi police had imposed prohibitory orders at several places in the capital, including central Delhi, JP Park, Rajghat, and Dilli Gate.
Hazare also had a few words to say to the Congress about the Lokpal Bill. ''Why don't they place the right bill in front of Parliament? We are not against Parliament. The government had assured us they would look into our draft, but suddenly they changed their stand.''
He added, ''If the right Lokpal Bill comes, at least 60 to 65 percent corruption in the country will be removed. If I am proved wrong, then I will work as a domestic help in Kapil Sibal's house.''
Speaking about Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Hazare said, ''I was disappointed today. I used to think the Prime Minister is an honest man. But he is speaking in the same language as Kapil Sibal. Manmohan Singh is not serious about removing corruption from the country.''
On whether he was intending to topple the government, Hazare said, "It is not important to remove the government, but if the peoples' voices are not heard then the government may fall.'' He ended the press conference with a request to people to shut off their lights for one hour today in symbolic support of Team Hazare.
Anna Hazare at Raj GhatEarlier, Mr Hazare made an unscheduled stop at Rajghat to meditate just hours after he was denied permission for his protest fast at a Delhi park for Tuesday. A big crowd gathered around him as he sat near Mahatma Gandhi's
samadhi to meditate, taking the Delhi Police totally by surprise.
(Read: Anna's surprise visit to meditate at Rajghat)Delhi Police denies permission for fastEarlier on Monday, the 74-year-old Gandhian refused to give a "full and proper" undertaking on 22 conditions laid down by the police for the fast. Two of these conditions include capping the number of days for the protest to three and restricting the number of protesters to 5,000.
"They (Team Anna) were told that there are some directions from the court according to which, they will have to give some undertaking. Only then can they hold a procession. We could not permit them for an indefinite fast. We suggested that they keep the whole thing limited to 2-3 days but they rejected the idea. That is why the permission has not been given," said Sudhir Yadav, Joint Commissioner, Delhi Police.
Team Anna, meanwhile, dubbed the police's move as unconstitutional and said that they along with their supporters would court arrest tomorrow at the venue of the fast after paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. They said they had given an undertaking to the police accepting 16 conditions, while six of the conditions were "unconstitutional".
(Read: Delhi Police refuses permission, Anna won't budge)