| Hazare rules out talks with government to end strike |
NEW DELHI Team Anna on Tuesday appeared set to oppose United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in the next Lok Sabha elections saying its mission is to ensure that “new and apt people” come to power in the 2014 elections.
It also attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleging that it supported the team earlier with a political motive.
The posturing came on a day when social activist Anna Hazare regretted the attack on media by his supporters on Monday night and warned that he will call off his fast if they again indulge in violence.
Even as the 74-year-old activist’s fast entered the third day and the health condition of two of his aides worsened after fasting for seven days, there were no signs of government initiating a dialogue with Team Anna to end the crisis.
Hazare ruled out any talks with the government or even the prime minister to end their stir and expressed readiness to return Padma Bhushan award bestowed on him, even as government showed no signs of initiating negotiations with his team.
The statement from Hazare came on a day when his close aides Arvind Kejriwal and Gopal Rai, whose fast entered the seventh day, were advised hospitalisation by doctors but they rejected it saying they were “not cowards who will give up because of health concerns“.
During his address to protesters, Hazare said: “The government says they will not send any representative to talk to us. We don’t want anyone to come and talk to us. We don’t need ministers to come and talk to us. The agitation will continue till our demands are met.
“I am not even ready to talk to the prime minister. I can return Padma Bhushan right now. The people have given me such a big award,” Hazare, who was awarded Padma Shri in 1990 and Padma Bhushan two years later, said.
He said he had earlier returned Padma Shri on the issue of corruption. “These awards were given to me not that I asked these. I am doing it for my country and for my people,” he said.
As his fast entered third day, the 74-year-old activist said he has decided that he will sit here again and again “until that flood of good politics comes”.
Earlier in the day, Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan targeted government for not initiating a dialogue with Team Anna alleging that they want people like Hazare to die so that they can continue to loot the country.
Agencies
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