As the health of his aides deteriorated, Anna Hazare on Wednesday warned the government that he will not negotiate with them if the fasting activists are forcefully removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site in New Delhi.
Mr. Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal said they saw a conspiracy to take the activists to hospital to end the stir for a strong Lokpal.
Mr. Kejriwal, whose health deteriorated along with that of Gopal Rai on the eighth day of their fast, said that it will be protesters’ responsibility to get him out of the facility if he is forcibly taken there.
With the government showing no inclination for talks to end their stir, a worried Team Anna held discussions on Wednesday morning among its members on the way ahead and decided to adopt a tough stand.
Team Anna requested Mr. Kejriwal and Mr. Rai to end their hunger strike and let other members carry on with the stir but the activists refused to budge.
After the meeting, Mr. Hazare told protesters that he will not call off his fast till a strong Lokpal Bill is passed.
“A man may commit suicide when he is in trouble. What is troubling Arvind? He is fighting for the country. And this fight is creating trouble for the government and there could be a conspiracy to take them to hospital. But this won’t work.
“If the government forcefully removes them, I will not talk to anybody in the government. Till we have the strength, we will carry on with the protest,” he said.
Mr. Kejriwal said he does not have trust in the government doctors and refused to share medical reports with them from on Wednesday.
—PTI