Janlokpal Bill issue: Hazare accuses Centre of ‘betrayal’,to sit on fast from tomorrow

“Congress betrayed the people who responded appropriately,” he told reporters here.

Hazare said when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh can pledge to get the communal violence bill passed in Parliament,why can’t he do the same for the much-delayed anti-graft law.

Recalling his earlier hunger fast in Delhi,Hazare said,”Sonia Gandhi wrote a letter saying that Government is ready to bring Janlokpal Bill and said please end your fast. I trusted her and I ended my fast.”

“I didn’t know that this UPA government will betray the public and me,” he said.

Hazare,who had earlier announced that he would go on indefinite hunger strike here from the first day of the winter session of Parliament,said he shifted the venue of his agitation at his village on the advise of his doctors as he had undergone a surgery recently.

“I had promised the people of India that if the government does not pass the Janlokpal Bill,then I will sit on ‘Anshan’ (fast) from the first day of the winter session at Ramlila Maidan. I am not well as I underwent a difficult operation and doctors have asked me to take precautions,” Hazare told reporters.

“I will be sitting on an indefinite hunger strike from December 10 at Ralegan Siddhi instead of Ramlila Ground in Delhi”,he added.

He said the agitation would be organised under the banner of his newly-formed organisation,Jantantra Morcha. “We have held over 700 rallies in seven states in the past six months under the organisation to mobilise people.”

The Gandhian attacked both Congress-led UPA and the opposition for having “anti-youth,anti-student,anti-village and anti-poor” economic policies.

“Instead of bringing in multi-national companies,the government should focus on developing village and generate employment there as Gandhiji had said that India won’t develop until its villages are developed,” Hazare said.

“The Government has given a written word but it has not bee adhered to till today,although two years have gone by,” Hazare said.

The anti-graft crusader said when people came out on the streets and the hunger strike was underway,the Janlokpal Bill was passed in one day in Lok Sabha. After that,the bill went to the Standing Committee,then to the Rajya Sabha and to a Select Committee,he said.

“This bill came to Rajya Sabha after being passed everywhere and only discussions on it were left. It has now been over a year and the bill is just lying in the Rajya Sabha and there are 71 Congress MPs there. The bill is still stuck there,” he said.

Hazare said he got several letters from the Government that the bill will be brought in the winter session of Parliament in 2012.

Later,he got another communication,saying the bill will come in the Budget session and then a promise was made that it will figure in the Monsoon session.

“The Monsoon session has also gone by. And that is why,we are left with no other option. That is why from tomorrow I will fast at Ralegan Sidhi,” he said.