Govt backs off, Anna to fast at Ramlila Maidan

Agencies

New Delhi, 17 August 2011: The Delhi Police has allowed Anna Hazare to go ahead with his fast at New Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan for seven days and may extend it. Hazare supporter Manish Sisodia had earlier said that the Government has agreed to allow the use of Ramlila Maidan for the fast for seven days.

 

But Hazare is reportedly adamant that he wants to continue his protest for as long as he wants to and is insisting on his unconditional release.

 

"Anna wants a written approval for the venue. We want a new venue. Ramlila Maidan is the venue which the Government has agreed to. The discussions are on and we want it for one month. Anna will continue his fast," said Sisodia.

 

The restrictions on the crowd and vehicles are likely to be removed since Ramlila Maidan is a much larger ground. DCP Crime Ashok Chand is believed to be negotiating with Team Anna inside the Tihar Jail.

 

Top aides of Anna Hazare - Kiran Bedi, Medha Patkar, Swami Agnivesh, Prashant Bhushan, Manish Sisodia and Akhil Gogoi - are with him inside Tihar Jail.

 

Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar is also a part of the negotiation process underway inside the Tihar Jail. Yoga guru Baba Ramdev was denied permission to enter the jail premises to meet Anna Hazare.

 

Earlier, sources told CNN-IBN that the government is engaging in back channel talks with Team Anna. The Congress core group met on Wednesday morning over the Anna issue. The Prime Minister, AK Antony, P Chidambaram, Pranab Mukherjee and Ahmed Patel attended the meeting.

 

"We will find a way out of this impasse," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is believed to have said. The Prime Minister also made a statement in Parliament on Wednesday on the crackdown on Team Anna on Tuesday.