Anna threatens second fast on Lokpal bill on 16 Aug

It was a day of aggressive posturing in New Delhi on Wednesday. While Gandhian Anna Hazare ended his day-long fast at Rajghat with the threat of another fast if the Lokpal bill was not passed by August 15, the government pointed at the RSS links of Baba Ramdev, in whose support Hazare had staged the fast. Ramdev, meanwhile, continued his diatribe against the government from Haridwar, this time threatening an armed rebellion. [caption id=“attachment_22599” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Anna Hazare has threatended that if the government does not pass the Lokpal Bill by 15 Aug, he will keep another fast on 16 Aug. Manvender Vashist/PTI “]  [/caption] “There was a supari given by the government to kill me. But the person who was given the supari refused to take it,” said Anna Hazare, speaking at Rajghat. He claimed that his movement was the “second freedom struggle” in the country. The Gandhian and his team termed the police’s midnight action at Ramlila Maidan a “blot on humanity” and said, “The government of trying to steamroll dissent”. Continuing with his government’s offensive on Baba Ramdev, Chidambaram said the yoga guru had been propped up by the RSS and its front organisations. Baba Ramdev’s Bharat Swabhiman Trust had the support of RSS-affiliate Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He referred to the May 20 circular of RSS functionary Suresh Joshi to all swayamsevaks to prove the connection. The circular asked the sevaks to provide all possible help to Ramdev’s campaign. Similar instructions were issued by Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Ashok Singhal to all office-bearers of the organisation. On a fast in Haridwar, Ramdev blowed hot on the Central government, stating, “Next time we will mobilise cadre with training in arms and ammunition, so that no one can beat us at Ramlila Maidan.” He said he would form an 11,000-strong force to deal with police and anti-social elements attempting to disrupt his movement. He received a visitor in senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on the day. Swaraj extended her party’s support to Ramdev in his fight against the government.