Say No To Corruption

Supporters of anti-corruption activist
Anna Hazare are growing in number at Delhi's Jantar Mantar as his fast entered a second day on Wednesday.
Hazare shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday telling him that he must act now to implement the
Lokpal bill.
Spontaneous protests on Wednesday stopped
politicians trying to reach out to Anna Hazare. The message is clear - there is no place for politicians in a
people's darbar against
corruption.
Anna Hazare who has
been fasting for two days send out a curt message to the PM and the political parties– don’t mess around.
"Unhappy that instead of solving the issue of
corruption, Government
is more bothered about
speculating on our
movement. I have heard that people have said that I have been cornered into fasting. This is an insult to
my intelligence and
wisdom. I have exercised my restraint. We have eight versions of the Lokpal Bill. You (the Prime Minister) haven't passed the weak version. Please
do not mislead the nation, by telling that we are not ready to talk," Hazare wrote in the letter.
"You have said that the
Government has initiated
certain processes. Some of the people drafting the legislation should have been in jail. Should I have faith in these processes? If
you were in my place,
would you still have faith in these processes?" he asked.
"I am not a child and
please don't doubt my
wisdom. I take suggestion from my colleague, but make my own decision.
We were not getting any response from the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi.
They did not send any
reply to three of my
letters, that's why I decide to go on fast-unto-death," he wrote.
As Hazare's movement
gains momentum, parties rush in. For the BJP, it’s a chance to strengthen its campaign before
Assembly elections while for the congress it couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Sensing the mood, the
congress and the
government moved in
their crisis managers.
Law Minister Veerappa
Moily who is also
reframing the Lokpal bill
has promised to
incorporate some
suggestions.
"Even on the demand for joint committee, we said we were open. We never closed our mind even on the formation of joint committee...In principle we did not say no," Moily said adding, that the Prime Minister was open to all suggestions on the
bill.
Jammu & Kashmir Chief
Minister Omar Abdullah,
sensing the public mood, supported Anna.
The government which is snowed by scams is now careful not to take on Hazare, the people's face in the fight against
corruption.
But it’s Sharad Pawar who has been particularly singled out by Anna Hazare questioning his presence in the GOM on
corruption - Hazare had
demanded he step down.
Pawar on Wednesday
offered to do so.
“I will be happy if you
relieve me from all Group of Ministers (GoMs), including that GoM (on corruption),” he said.
The BJP is on a bit of a
backfoot after an
aggressive speech by the prime minister in
Parliament has bounced
back on the strength of
Hazare's fast.
Government sources
admit they are in a bit of a bind, that they
underestimated the
strength of Hazare's
campign and though it
would want the hunger
strike to end soon, it
doesn’t want to be on the wrong side of the politicalspace either.
The 72-year-old social
activist, supported by
eminent persons including Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal, has been demanding that the drafting committee for the Lokpal Bill to tackle corruption should include members of civil society.
He started his
fast-unto-death at New Delhi's Jantar
Mantar on Tuesday.