(Reuters) - An Indian anti-graft campaigner whose jailing
sparked mass protests and fierce criticism of the government has accepted a
police offer to fast in a New Delhi park for two weeks, a senior adviser said
on Thursday, prompting euphoria from supporters.
Protests swelled across India
on Wednesday in support of Anna Hazare, a self-styled Gandhian anti-corruption
campaigner who had refused to leave jail until he won permission to continue
his fast until death at the Ramlila Maidan, a popular rallying site in the
heart of old Delhi.
Crowds outside the Tihar jail
where Hazare was staying erupted at news of the deal,
shouting his name "Anna," singing and waving the Indian flag. He is
expected to go to the protest grounds at 3 pm local time (5:30 a.m. ET).
"Anna wanted three weeks
but ... has finally settled on two weeks," Kiran Bedi, one of India's
first female police officers and a widely respected figure for her
anti-graft-drive, told Times Now television.
"None of us is looking at
this as a victory, we are not playing games. We are doing this to move the
country forward," said Bedi, who had also been briefly arrested.
Beleaguered Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and his government had appeared at a loss over how to end the
standoff. The arrest of Hazare shortly before he was due to start a fast on
Tuesday sparked nationwide outrage and promoted lawmakers to block parliament
proceedings and shout "shame" at the government.
Bedi said the police had
agreed to look at extending the permission if needed after the two-week period.
The squat and slight
74-year-old Hazare fasted as thousands of his followers gathered at key
locations in the capital, including outside the jail.
Hazare struck a nerve with
millions of Indians by demanding tougher laws against rampant corruption.
His arrest, along with the
brief detention of about 1,500 followers, shocked many in a country with strong
memories of Gandhi's independence battles against colonial rule with fasts and
non-violent protests.
(Additional reporting by Nick Macfie)
Source : Reuters
Online Booking Hotel
EmpireMoney
No comments:
Post a Comment