Anna Hazare plans to sit on hunger strike starting today demanding setting up of Lokpal, Lokayukta (File)
Anna Hazare said last week that he is firm on his decision to sit on a hunger strike from today. The reason for his fast, he says, is the government's inaction over setting up of anti-corruption ombudsman 'Lokpal'. Mr Hazare, who has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his plan to sit on hunger strike, claims that the BJP-led government at the Centre came to power because of the Lokpal agitation.
In his letter to the prime minister, Mr Hazare alleged that in the last four years the government kept dilly-dallying and did not appoint the Lokpal and Lokayuktas.
"On August 16, 2011, the entire country took to the streets for the appointment of Lokpal and Lokayukta...Your government came to power because of that agitation," Mr Hazare claimed.
"Gratefulness is our culture. You (government) should have been grateful towards people and given priority to their demand," Mr Hazare, who launched an indefinite fast over the issue in Delhi in 2011, wrote.
"Four years have passed but the government is avoiding the appointment of Lokpal and Lokayukta on one or the other pretext," he said.
Mr Hazare also alleged that the prime minister did not fulfill the "written assurances" given to him when he ended his recent hunger strike on the issue at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan in March this year.
Mr Hazare had earlier announced that he would sit on fast at his village, Ralegan Siddhi, from October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
He also said in the letter that the BJP-led government at the Centre had promised to look into his demand of grant of autonomy to the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) but it hasn't done so.
The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices determines minimum support prices of various agricultural commodities.
Mr Hazare told news agency PTI last Friday that farmers are not getting adequate price for their produce which is leading to farmer suicides.
"The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices is controlled by the Agriculture Department and hence the prices of farm produce are low. We had requested many times that it should be given autonomy, like in the case of Election Commission," he said.