13 years ago
Addressing the crowd, Anna says:
- God has shown me the way, I am just the medium.
- India has been a republic - rule of the people - since 26 January, 1950.
- We celebrate it everywhere, for the past 63 years.
- And where is the power, it is in Delhi, Mumbai.
- I have tried to tell people that till they have the power, India cannot be a republic.
- We send the MLAs to State Assemblies and MPs to Parliament. They are servants of the people.
- But the real masters, the people, slept off, after sending the MPs, MLAs, and they started stealing from the people.
- Now, people have arisen, awoken. We have to be alert, not let anyone steal from the people.
- People have to get power in their hands.
- I am not afraid of dying, I am here to serve the people of my country.
- I stay in a temple, have a bed to sleep and a plate to eat in, but I have had six cabinet ministers dismissed. I have more ministers in that queue.
- Government's intentions are not clear, that is why they are not serious on the Lokpal Bill.
- Anna to Government: Introduce the Lokpal Bill or go in 2014.
- The government will be forced to introduce the Jan Lokpal.
- That will not end corruption, but get justice to the people.
- That is not enough - we also need right to reject.
- We are not going to run after the govt- Jab naak dabayenge, muh automatic khul jayega.
- Political parties take lakhs and crores in donations from industrialists and break it up in units of Rs 20,000 so that they do not have to give an account of it. They are converting black money to white.
- On the plight of farmers: Maal khaye Bandar, or naachey madari.
- They are taking farmland for industry - calling in multinationals - and taking over land by force, firing on farmers... We want land to be acquired only after permission from the gram sabha.
- We have to change this country, we mustn't dither from our stand. It's now or never - this is the right time.
- Laluji said I am worried about Anna, he is ill. I am not ill, I have become healthy, I will go round the country.
- This government lathicharged Baba Ramdev's supporters a day before I was scheduled to meet him... they lathicharged women?
- We have decided to cooperate with each other - and support each other's causes.... Our people will join their protest, they will join ours.
- We have to win our true independence.
- This is not true independence - yeh toh sirf gore gaye aur kale aaye.
- FIR should be registered against corrupt ministers (Arvind mentioned).
- Since they are ministers, I know FIRs will never be registered.
Arvind Kejriwal says he has prepared a list of 'corrupt' ministers. He starts reading out the list of ministers and the allegations against them.
Kiran Bedi, who is with Anna Hazare at Jantar Mantar, has tweeted this picture of the crowd
Anna begins fast at Jantar Mantar, demands protection for whistleblowersAfter a brief bout of illness, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare is back in action. But this time, instead of the Lokpal Bill, a cause that he championed for throughout last year, it is the plight of whistleblowers in the country that the 74-year-old activist has decided to highlight.
Santosh Hegde and Arvind Kejriwal address the crowd.
Meanwhile, the crowd has been swelling up since morning. This is a much better response after a low-key affair at the MMRDA ground in Mumbai.
A presentation is shown at Jantar Mantar on the whistleblowers who have been killed in the recent past.
Arvind Kejriwal addresses the crowd: Manjunath had raised the issue of adultery in oil. He is no more, the adultery is continuing. Narendra Kumar is no more... he had raised his voice against corruption. They had asked the government for protection, but they were not provided protection. In the Jan Lokpal Bill we want, there is a provision for protecting whistleblowers.
I fully support Anna Hazare: Slain IPS officer's uncle to NDTVIPS officer Narendra Kumar was ran over by a tractor in Madhya Pradesh. Today his family showed support to Anna Hazare, who demanded protection to whistleblowers by fasting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.
Anna is on the stage. He is greeted by a huge applause from the crowd. His team members Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Manish Sisodia are with him.
Anna has reached Jantar Mantar. He is expected to address the crowd soon.
Family of Narendra Kumar, the IPS officer who was killed in Madhya Pradesh allegedly by the mining mafia, is also in Jantar Mantar to support Anna's cause.
Former Law Minister and Anna aide Shanti Bhushan is also present at Jantar Mantar.
Anna on his way to Jantar Mantar.
Former Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde is also present at Jantar Mantar.
Arvind Kejriwal blasts the government over the Lokpal Bill. He says in his tweet, "No consensus amongst political parties on Lokpal in 44 years. If they have to increase their salaries, there is consensus in 5 min."
Meanwhile Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal tweets, "More than 25 people, fighting against corruption, murdered in last ten years. Many of them cud hv been saved if Jan Lokpal had been there."
Anna Hazare has reached Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi.
Anna has left for Rajghat. From there he will head to Jantar Mantar, the venue for today's protest
Anna Hazare: 25 Whistleblowers have been killed, why is the government still silent?
At the protest venue, Team Anna member Manish Sisodia tells NDTV that they don't have "any hope from the government" over the Lokpal Bill.
20 families of whistleblowers will be present at the fast to share their experiences of their fight against corruption.
Kiran Bedi, one of his close aides who together constitute Team Anna, has reached the venue of the fast.
He will visit the Gandhi Samadhi at the Rajghat before heading to Jantar Mantar.
Mr Hazare is expected to reach Jantar Mantar at around 11 am.
