Anna will go Ramlila ground tomorrow

Delhi Police gave the permission for a 15-day fast at Ramlila Maidan on Wednesday night after talks between Team Anna and Delhi Police Commissioner BK Gupta.

74-year-old Gandhian will reach the Ramlila Maidan for his indefinite anti-corruption fast on Friday (August 19) since the venue is not yet prepared for him and his supporters to hold the hunger strike. Anna's close aide Arvind Kejriwal said, "In view of conditions at Ramlila Maidan, Anna Hazare will reach the place tomorrow."

Kerjriwal is said to have updated Anna Hazare about the situation at the Ramlila Maidan, where the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is working doubly hard to ensure that the venue is ready for the fast. Following this, Anna took the decision to reach the venue only tomorrow.

After this recent development, it remains to be seen if Anna will leave Tihar Jail today as reported earlier, or whether he will stay for a third night at the high profile jail. Team Anna’s key member Kiran Bedi said that they would visit the ground to take stock of the preparations and once they are satisfied with the same, they will inform Anna.

According to sources, the jail authorities have completed the necessary formalities for Anna's release and are awaiting for an official green signal.

A team of doctors from the Medanta Medicity, GP Pant Hospital and the Tihar Jail hospital examined Anna Hazare and declared that his condition is stable.

After he left the Tihar Jail, Kejriwal had said, "The MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) has to prepare the ground first and hand it over to us. Then we will prepare the stage, etc. Only when it is ready, Anna will leave Tihar. We have just spoken to Delhi Police Commissioner, he has assured me that a Deputy Commissioner will personally look at the arrangement at Ramlila Maidan."

Hazare supporters have said that their protests will only end after the Government agrees to a strong Lokpal bill in parliament. Supporters have started to gather at Ramlila Maidan in anticipation of his arrival. Police have made heavy security arrangements at the fast venue and are combing the ground with sniffer dogs and metal detectors to secure the area.

Team Anna has also given a two-page undertaking to police on its protest fast in Ramlila Maidan, saying they would abide by existing rules and regulations and the crowd will not exceed the capacity of the ground, which is around 25,000 people. In the undertaking signed by Anna Hazare himself and his associates - Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan, Kiran Bedi and Shanti Bhushan, they also said that if any clause of it was violated, they would be liable to be prosecuted under law.