Congress party ready to talk to Team Anna if approached

The Congress party expressed its readiness to talk to Team Anna if it formally approaches the government over the Lokpal issue.

An indication to this effect was available after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chaired an hour-long meeting with senior ministers to take stock of the situation arising out of Anna Hazare's fast at Ramlila Maidan.

Highly placed sources in the party said they have no problem in holding negotiations with the civil society group led by Hazare if they express readiness for the same. A number of party leaders, speaking on condition of anonymity, have said the government should re-engage Team Anna in talks.

The hour-long meeting of Congress Core Committee chaired by the Prime Minister was attended by all other members including Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram, A K Antony and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel.

The meeting came against the backdrop of Hazare setting a deadline of August 30 for the government to get the Janlokpal Bill passed in Parliament, failing which he decided to continue his fast "till my last breath".

Differences within Congress over the way Anna Hazare issue was handled came to the fore today with East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit stating that the Gandhian should not have been arrested and adverse comments made against him could have been avoided.

Asked whether Hazare's arrest was wrong, Dikhit replied, "It was wrong on the part of Delhi police. I would not say it was the decision of UPA government. But I think it was wrong on the part of Delhi police to arrest him.

Anna Hazare leaves Tihar jail to begin hunger strike

Amid crowd cheering and following him, Anna Hazare reached Rajghat on way to Ramlila Maidan from Tihar jail. He addresses his supporters after reaching the venue for protest. Thousands of people, many of them school children, thronged the Ramlila Maidan despite rains to support the social activist in his fight for a stringent anti-corruption law.

There were cheers and hail Anna slogans as the announcement was made that Hazare had left Tihar jail after three days and would slowly make his way to the Ramlila Maidan, via Mahatma Gandhi's memorial Rajghat and India Gate.

I will join you all people at Ramlila Maidan. We should not let this spirit die down. Our freedom struggle is incomplete till corruption is wiped out. We want corruption to be completely removed from India. The fight against corruption is far from over. The fight for freedom has started," said Hazare.

Emphasizing that this is India's second freedom struggle, Hazare thanking his supporters for the massive support said: "The second freedom struggle has started from August 16. India will not really be free until this movement is successful. This movement must not die."

Kiran Bedi, who was overseeing the arrangements at Ramlila Maidan, made regular requests to people to maintain calm and peace.
Hazare had planned to begin his fast for a stronger lokpal bill at the JP Park in the ITO area here Tuesday.

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.

Anna Hazare to remain in Tihar till Ramlila Maidan is ready

Anna Hazare's health continues to be a matter of national concern. The member of Team Anna, Arvind Kejriwal, said a team of doctors would check on Anna Hazare just before his release from hospital. These reportedly would consist of doctors from a government hospital and those from Naresh Trehan's Vedanta Medicity.

''Anna Hazare's health is fine. A medical team from GB Pant hospital visited him on Wednesday evening. But he said that when jail doctors are taking care of him he does not need another medical team?''

Kejriiwal added that a medical team would be with Anna at all times, and that the Ramlila ground was being made ready for the Gandhian's purported fast to end corruption.       

''The Ramlila ground is being prepared. Only when it is ready to go, will Anna come out of Tihar jail. As things stands today, MCD has to prepare the grounds since it is full of muck. The ground has to be made ready because if the crowd reaches Ramlila grounds before we reach, it will be difficult to set up tents for them.

On Wednesday, defying the Delhi Police's earlier diktats, Anna Hazare had courted arrest demanding that he be allowed to fast without any conditions. After a late night meeting with the Delhi Police Commissioner B K Gupta, Team Anna said that the Gandhian had decided to accept the city police's offer permitting him to stage his protest for 14 days which could be extended later.

The leading player of the movement, Arvind Kejriwal said Anna Hazare will leave Tihar only when the Ramlila ground is ready. He will not move anywhere else. He will move straight from the jail to the Ramlila Maidan.