By IANS,
New Delhi : The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has given the go ahead to social activists led by Anna Hazare for a hunger strike in the capital Dec 27-Jan 5, a spokesperson for India Against Corruption (IAC) said Sunday.
IAC media coordinator Aswathi Muralidharan told IANS that the MCD told them that the Ramlila ground in the heart of the capital was free from Dec 27.
IAC is the the umbrella organisation of Hazare’s anti-graft movement.
“We will now approach the Delhi Police,” Muralidharan said, adding the fast is planned if “parliament fails to pass a strong anti-corruption Lokpal bill in the winter session”.
The bill presently being considered by the parliamentary standing committee is expected to be tabled by Dec 7 in the winter session of parliament Nov 22-Dec 21.
IAC members have been meeting political leaders and parliamentary committee members fearing that the government might go back on its assurance to strengthen the proposed legislation.
There are concerns that standing committee on law and justice, examining the Lokpal bill, may recommend retaining the autonomy of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Central Vigilance Commission, an idea opposed by the anti-corruption campaigners Team Anna.
Most of the members of the standing committee want the Lokpal to keep out the CBI, judiciary and the lower bureaucracy, according to sources.
Simultaneously, the IAC members have been holding meetings with various parties on the same issue.
Hazare had written to the prime minister recently threatening to launch another hunger strike if the Lokpal bill was not passed in the Nov 22-Dec 21 winter session.
His close aides said his fight against corruption would go on till a strong legislation is passed.
After the winter session, he would travel across the country campaigning for the Jan Lokpal bill, Team Anna’s version of the ombudsman legislation, said his aides.
The anti-corruption campaigner was on a 12-day hunger strike in August demanding from the government an effective law to deal with corruption in India.