Social activist Anna Hazare on Thursday continued with his indefinite hunger-strike for the fifth day at Jantar Mantar here, a day after his team opposed any forcible removal of fasting activists.
Notably, Delhi Police have written a letter to Team Anna saying that its members, including Arvind Kejriwal – fasting for the past nine days for a ‘strong Lokpal’, needed immediate hospitalisation.
As the health condition of Team Anna members who are fasting is deteriorating, the big worry at this point is that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government seems to be in no mood to engage with the anti-corruption crusader.
Anna Hazare yesterday saw a conspiracy by the government to end the stir by forcibly removing them from the Jantar Mantar protest site. He warned that he will not negotiate with the government if it adopts such a strategy.
Kejriwal, who remained defiant, said he does not have trust in the government doctors and refused to share medical reports with them. “There is a conspiracy to forcibly take me to hospital. I don’t have trust in government doctors,” he said.
Congress, in its response, said it is a “dangerous statement” and Team Anna was “inciting people”.
In a letter to Team Anna member Neeraj Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) KC Dwivedi said doctors have advised that Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai need immediate medical intervention and be shifted to a hospital.
“You are advised to follow the doctors’ recommendation and take steps for immediate hospitalisation of Arvind Kejriwal, Gopal Rai and Manish Sisodia to prevent harm to their lives and well-being failing which you would be squarely responsible for any untoward incident,” the letter said.
Dr TS Sidhu, the Medical Superintendent of government-run Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, said the physicians who examined the fasting activists have “strongly advised” that Kejriwal, Sisodia and Rai be “immediately” moved to hospital.
With the government showing no inclination for talks to end their stir, a worried Team Anna held two rounds of discussions last morning on the way ahead. In the meeting, Kejriwal and Rai were requested to end their hunger strike and let other members carry on with the stir but they refused.
After the meeting, Hazare told the protesters that he will not call off his fast till a strong Lokpal bill is passed.
—PTI—