Jan Lokpal Bill: Doctors express concern; Anna loses six kgs

NEW DELHI: Amid mounting concern about Anna Hazare's health as his fast continued for the tenth day, doctors tonight said the Gandhian's condition was "stable" but there is reason to worry.

"Till now his condition is stable. But there is reason to worry as today is 10th day of his fast," Dr Naresh Trehan told reporters at the Ramlila Ground after examining 74-year-old Hazare.

Trehan, who along with his team, has been monitoring Hazare's health every two hours said the Gandhian has already lost over six kgs of weight and doctors will constantly monitor his condition throughout the night.

"He has already lost over six kgs of weight... We will keep a close watch on him throughout the night," Trehan said. Hazare was 72 kg before he began his fast on August 16.

He said results of various test to conducted on Hazare will be announced tomorrow morning.

Concerns mounted over Hazare's health after he refused doctors' advice on Tuesday night as well as yesterday to be put on an intravenous drip.

In the morning, doctors said there was stability in his blood pressure and heart beat. They also said that his ketone levels, which had gone up, has come down.

Meanwhile, Hazare's attack on Congress leaders dubbing them as "looters" today evoked strong indignation among party MPs at a meeting here in which they opposed any move to withdraw the Lokpal Bill introduced by the government.

The meeting at which senior leader Pranab Mukherjee briefed the lawmakers on Lokpal issue also saw members expressing themselves against being in the "defensive mode" against Team Anna, which, they said, has adopted an "aggressive" posture.

Sources in the party said that a large number of MPs were "upset" with Hazare's last night attack and they also resented his call to people to hold demonstration outside MPs' houses as many apprehend that such protests could lead to law and order problems.

Attacking the ruling party and the government, Hazare said last night, "We were of the view that there were some good people in the Congress but all looters have now come together in the Congress and the country has no future in the hands of such people."

He had made the remarks after his associates negotiating with the government said that the talks are back to square one and apprehended that Hazare could be arrested and removed from the protest site.

Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi gave vent to the hurt feelings of MPs saying that such language does not behove a person like Hazare.

Party leaders also underlined that the regret expressed by party spokesman Manish Tewari to Hazare for his earlier remarks against the Gandhian was also in line with the party's disapproval of personal attacks.

In the CPP meeting, MPs were also of the view that Parliament and constitutional process cannot be overlooked under insistence of any particular group.