Hazare's fast enters 4th day, another round of talks with govt

Anna Hazare's fast-unto-death entered the fourth day on Friday even as anti-corruption activists waited for a communication from the government over holding another round of talks to iron out differences over notifying formation of a joint committee to draft an effective Lokpal Bill.


Social activist Swami Agnivesh told the news agency, "We are waiting for a communication from the government side.

On Thursday, it was informally agreed that we will meet around 9:AM. We have not got any formal communication".


HRD Minister Kapil Sibal had said that two sides would be meeting this morning for the third round of talks.

"The two sides had agreed on almost all issues but there is no agreement on two issues that is issuing an official notification to form the committee and making Hazare the chairman of the committee.

Hazare announces jail bharo movement on 13th April

Gandhian Anna Hazare on Friday announced a 'jail bharo' movement across the country on 13th April after the government rejected his demands of chairmanship of the joint drafting committee being given to a civil society member and for a formal notification.

Giving the call, Hazare asked people to stick to non-violence during the agitation. After first announcing 12th April as the date for the agitation, he later changed it 13th April citing holiday on the earlier date.

"Today when Kapil Sibal and these people are saying this, I felt that the jail bharo agitation should take place in the entire country. But you should participate in the agitation keeping in mind Mahatma Gandhi. There should be no violence anywhere," Hazare said.

He recalled that he had organized similar jail bharo movements in Maharashtra in the past.

His announcement came after a meeting of HRD Minister Kapil Sibal with activists Swami Agnivesh and Arvind Kejriwal scheduled Friday morning did not take place with both sides saying they were waiting for each other.

Rejecting the two demands of the social activists, Sibal also said that only government officials will be members of the joint drafting committee on Lokpal Bill and that no minister will be part of it, if they insist on the chairman being from the civil society.

"There is no possibility of an official notification on the constitution of the joint committee but we have told them that we are willing to give an official letter through the law ministry and a press note," he said.