Janlokpal Bill: Anna dispels rumours of his health falling, asks supporters not to get violent
Hazare urged the crowds to picket homes of MPs if the Jan Lokpal Bill drafted by the section of civil society is not passed by parliament by August 30.
By Agencies | Updated:
NEW DELHI: Gandhian activist Anna Hazare on Tuesday urged his supporters not to resort to violence. Dispelling all rumours of his health falling, Anna said, "I won't give up till we achieve our goal. I am still fit to fight the battle."
"Do not take to violence. If you do, the government will crush you. The government is very powerful," Hazare told a large crowd at the Ramlila ground here on the eighth day of his fast in support of a strong Lokpal bill.
Non-violence, he said, "is a very powerful weapon".
"This is the reason the government has not been able to crush us so far," he said.
Hazare also urged the crowds gathered at the ground to picket homes of MPs if the Jan Lokpal Bill drafted by the section of civil society he heads is not passed by parliament by August 30.
As government went into a huddle to resolve the stand off with Team Anna Hazare, Law Minister Salman Khurshid said the Standing Commitee looking into the Lokpal Bill can reflect upon the Jan Lokpal Bill, which has been submitted before it by a Congress member.
Khurshid, who was part of ten-member joint committee to draft the Lokpal Bill, said there is no difference in the country on merits and contents of the bill to fight corruption.
Khurshid's remarks came a day when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had a detailed meeting with the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Lokpal Bill Abhishek Singhvi apparently to explore ways to break the logjam over the issue. The government has also convened an all-party meeting tomorrow to defuse the crisis.
Singhvi had yesterday said that differences between the government and Hazare on Lokpal Bill were more to do with methodology rather than content and said the Committee on Law and Justice and Personnel was open to all kinds of opinions and inputs to send a strong and acceptable-to-all Lokpal Bill back to Parliament.
Civil society activist Arvind Kejriwal has stated that the government should mandate somebody officially for a political dialogue as this is not a technical issue.
However, Kejriwal said Hazare has not insisted that he will talk only with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi.
"Do not take to violence. If you do, the government will crush you. The government is very powerful," Hazare told a large crowd at the Ramlila ground here on the eighth day of his fast in support of a strong Lokpal bill.
Non-violence, he said, "is a very powerful weapon".
"This is the reason the government has not been able to crush us so far," he said.
Hazare also urged the crowds gathered at the ground to picket homes of MPs if the Jan Lokpal Bill drafted by the section of civil society he heads is not passed by parliament by August 30.
As government went into a huddle to resolve the stand off with Team Anna Hazare, Law Minister Salman Khurshid said the Standing Commitee looking into the Lokpal Bill can reflect upon the Jan Lokpal Bill, which has been submitted before it by a Congress member.
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Khurshid, who was part of ten-member joint committee to draft the Lokpal Bill, said there is no difference in the country on merits and contents of the bill to fight corruption.
Khurshid's remarks came a day when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had a detailed meeting with the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Lokpal Bill Abhishek Singhvi apparently to explore ways to break the logjam over the issue. The government has also convened an all-party meeting tomorrow to defuse the crisis.
Singhvi had yesterday said that differences between the government and Hazare on Lokpal Bill were more to do with methodology rather than content and said the Committee on Law and Justice and Personnel was open to all kinds of opinions and inputs to send a strong and acceptable-to-all Lokpal Bill back to Parliament.
Civil society activist Arvind Kejriwal has stated that the government should mandate somebody officially for a political dialogue as this is not a technical issue.
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However, Kejriwal said Hazare has not insisted that he will talk only with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi.
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