New Delhi:
Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare will launch an indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi tomorrow on protest against the government. Here are the highlights of what the 75-year-old activist said at a press conference in the national capital today:
- We were betrayed in cabinet committee, in joint committee and even in the Parliament. But the government has been doing repeated U-turns.
- Salman Khurshid met us. He said we are ready to bring the kind of Lokpal you want. He assured us he would meet the PM and Sonia Gandhi.
- Narayanasamy also sent a letter to Team Anna, tried to divide us.
- If we have accused them falsely, let them take us to court. If we are guilty, we will be jailed.
- We are starting our hunger strike from tomorrow.
- My team told me not to fast.
- I will wait for four days - and begin my fast from 29th.
- Government trying to break my team, malign us.
- At 10 am tomorrow, we will be going to Gandhi ji's samadhi and then to Jantar Mantar.
Arvind Kejriwal- Our first demand is that a special inquiry be set up against the 15 ministers we have brought charges against.
- That same team can inquire into finances of Team Anna members too. It should be headed by three retired judges.
- Parliament needs to be cleansed - cases against MPs - they will never pass Jan Lokpal till cases are on. There are 162 Lok Sabha MPs in that list.
- It's the misfortune of the country that with so many taints, Pranab Mukherjee will be sworn in as the President of India. The parties that supported him have not been honest to the country.
- What is the basis for the BSP, SP's support for Pranab Mukherjee?
Prashant Bhushan- With our little investigation, we have been able to accumulate evidence of graft against 15 most-influential ministers of India. The question is, will India be governed by such corrupt people?