Minutes after Anna Hazare announced that he would end his fast at the MMRDA ground a day in advance,Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday broke the silence of the state government on the issue and said he should not have gone on strike in the first place. The CM also advised Team Anna to join politics and fight elections if they wanted to politicise issues. Chavan said the fast should not have been undertaken as the winter session of Parliament had been extended to bring in the Lokpal Bill. He said the Centre had met Team Annas first demand that the Bill be tabled and passed during the winter session. It should not have been done. Their first clause was that the Bill should be passed during the winter session of Parliament,which was being done. There was no need to go on fast, said Chavan. Major arrangements had been made by the state administration for the fast anticipating large crowds at the MMRDA ground. However,Mumbai gave Team Anna a cold shoulder,with an average of 5,000 to 6,000 people turning up in support. Chavan had spoken to Hazare on Tuesday night after reports of his failing health came in and while the Lok Sabha was in the process of passing the landmark Lokpal Bill. Chavan had appealed to Hazare to withdraw his fast. Yesterday night,I had called Anna and requested him to withdraw his fast. The Bill was being passed in Lok Sabha. We have to respect Parliament. It has made a law and it should be accepted, said Chavan. Amidst remarks from Team Anna that they would campaign against the UPA in five states where elections have been announced,Chavan said they should join politics and contest elections if they want to politicise the issue of the Lokpal Bill. If they want,they can join politics and win elections, said Chavan. In a statement,the Congress said while Hazare has cited his poor health for calling off the fast,the diminishing crowd at MMRDA ground must have forced the move. It also said that considering the commitment shown by the Congress over the past year to introduce the Bill,Team Anna should be campaigning for the party in the polls.
