Anna Next: 'We'll awaken people and urge them not to vote for traitors'

Mumbai: In a sudden climb down, Anna Hazare today made a surprise announcement of calling off his campaign to fill jails from Friday and ended his fast.

No reasons were given by the 74-year-old activist for the abrupt decisions but apparently it was the poor public response to the three-day fast which he had began here yesterday and to have a parallel fast by his team in Delhi that weighed heavily on his mind.

He was also unwell and was earlier urged by his doctors to give up the fast.

A girl from Ralegan Siddhi, Hazare's village, gave the activist a glass of juice to break the fast. Hazare offered juice to his team members Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Mayank Gandhi.

Curtains came down suddenly on the fast with the activist, who showed up on stage for the first time since yesterday, making the announcement about calling it off.

He also announced indefinite suspension of the 'jail bharo' agitation planned for three days after the scheduled conclusion of his fast tomorrow.

His close aide Kejriwal said the fast was being called off keeping in mind the deteriorating health of Hazare and the way the "weak" Lokpal Bill was "bulldozed" through the Lok Sabha.

"...Whatever we are seeing today in Parliament is tragic. So I have decided to call off the fast today. There is only one way now. We will make a programme in the five states and go and awaken people there. I will tell them don't vote for traitors," Hazare told a sparsely attended protest meeting in the afternoon.

Replying to a question by a reporter on poor turn out, Hazare said,"I have no power, no money, yet people come. You will see at the time of elections how people rise to the occasion."

He said an atmosphere had been created in the entire country in favour of the proposed fill-the-jail campaign "but I am told Lokpal Bill has not been tabled in Rajya Sabha. What will happen there we don't know. So, the time for it ( jail bharo) has not come."

Fielding a volley of uncomfortable questions by media which wanted to know why he and his team were making a villain of Congress and targeting Sonia and Rahul Gandhi when several other parties too had not supported his version of Lokpal Bill, Hazare said, "Congress have destroyed the nation."

After his announcement that he and his team will campaign against Congress in the five poll-bound states early next year and later in the general elections, he was asked whether Congress was sought to be made a villain and whether the strategy adopted by them was not wrong.

Hazare said they had no reasons to oppose other parties.

Hazare said he had no reason to campaign against any other party, despite a questioner pointing out that given the Congress' strength in Uttar Pradesh his drive against it would hardly alter its electoral fortunes there.

Defending Team Anna's anti-Congress stand, Kejriwal said, "Can BSP and SP pass a strong Lokpal bill if they want to? Congress can. If it can get a weak Lokpal Bill passed...If it can get a nuclear bill passed, it can also get a strong Bill passed. The responsibility is of the ruling party."

Hazare said, "In the last five months, it was the UPA government that has betrayed us. They were betraying us again and again in the past one year."

One reporter asked whether he will campaign against BJP which betrayed the Hazare campaign in Lok Sabha yesterday and whether Team Anna was not following a wrong strategy, Hazare said, "Congress has cheated them the maximum."

After this question, Hazare abruptly quit the dais, leaving Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia to field searching questions from the media which was heckled by the crowds that had gathered there.

Asked about the future course of action, Kejriwal said "We will build up pressure on the government to make subsequent amendments to the Lokpal Act if the bill passed in Lok Sabha is also passed by the Rajya Sabha and is made into a law. We will intensify our agitation."

In the backdrop of accusations of Team Anna's proximity to RSS and BJP, when it was asked if they would have taken a similar stance if the saffron party was in power, Kejriwal replied with an emphatic "yes".

"We have nothing to do with any party. Digvijay Singh levels such unfounded allegations but never gives any evidence," he said.

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Pretty, graceful, lovely Mayawati wants poll victory as birthday gift from Muslims

Lucknow: Contrary to expectations of important poll announcements, particularly sops for Muslims, UP chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati on Sunday, while reiterating her demand for a separate Muslim quota at the mammoth party convention for Muslim, Kshatriya and Vaishya communities, chose to thank her supporters in advance for birthday falling next month and said that the best gift for her would victory in upcoming state assembly elections.

It was Mayawati who set the ball rolling on the issue of Muslim quota in July this year by writing to prime minister. In response, the Congress led UPA government promised to bring fixed quota for Muslims within quota for other backward classes (OBCs). As a result, Maya was under pressure to make announcements to counter Congress's move to keep intact her Muslim vote bank which played a crucial role in bringing her to power in 2007 assembly elections.

However, Mayawati reiterated her demand for a separate quota for Muslims as recommended by Sachar and Rangnath Mishra committees. "Muslims must be given quota on the basis of their population, for which the proportion of OBC reservation should be increased and a national policy should be formed to ensure that the benefits of quota reach Muslims across the country. BSP will support constitutional amendment required in this regard," she said.

Muslims constitute 18% of the UP population and can affect elections in over 150 constituencies. In 2007 assembly polls, Mayawati fielded 59 muslim candidates, of which 29 won. The Muslim votes also gave her edge in other seats. However, in 2009 Lok Sabha elections, of 20 Muslim candidates, only four won and the community preferred Congress and SP over BSP. As a result, the BSP, which was expecting to bag 45 seats, could win only 20 in the state.

Since Muslims tactically vote for the party which can defeat BJP, Mayawati reminded Muslims that it was Congress government at the Centre when the Babri mosque was demolished in 1992. She also said that during Ram Temple movement in 1989, SP chief and the then chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's provocative speech on foolproof security of Babri Mosque in Ayodhya (parinda bhi par nahi mar sakta) and led to riots in all over the state and country.

In comparison, Maya said "In my rule there were no riots. There was peace even after 2010 Ayodhya verdict". Hinting towards shilanyas in Ayodhya during Rajiv Gandhi's prime ministership, she said that the Congress is responsible not only for many riots in the country after independence but has also promoted activities of VHP, RSS and Bajrang dal leading to demolishing of Babri mosque but she did not allow Mathura and Varanasi to become another Ayodhya.

Maya also touched the raw nerve of the Muslims by saying that during her regime, no one was harassed on ground of suspicion of involvement in terror acts but at the same time she kept away from the saffron terror controversy by adding that she believes that terror has no religion. Citing anti-sikh riots of 1984 after assassination of Indira Gandhi, she said that under Congress rule, entire Sikh community had to suffer for wrongdoing of a few from the community.

Emboldened by presence of huge Muslim gathering conspicuous by presence of skull caps and burqas, Mayawati promised to give proper representation to Muslims in ticket distribution for assembly polls and in the government, if voted back to power. Pointing towards her right hand man and party leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui who has over 12 departments under him as minister, she said that Opposition parties have not given any Muslim leader such importance.

Counting steps taken by her for development of Muslims, she said that she has delivered and not appeased Muslims like Congress. She claimed that the Centre had sanctioned Rs 1015.70 crore for UP under multi-sectoral development plan but so far only Rs 634.08 crore has been released. She also claimed that the law enacted by her government to grant special status to Muslim educational institutions is pending with the Central government for approval.

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Rahul baba has gone bonkers, says Mayawati

Lucknow (PTI): Stung by Rahul Gandhi's criticism, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today lashed out at the Congress saying the party has "lost its mental balance" due to which it sees "elephant" eating money.

"The Congress, it seems has lost mental balance due to which it sees elephant eating money. The party, which failed to do any good to people in its 40 years rule is seeking their support again for forming government in the state for five years and claiming to change their fortunes," she said.

Mayawati was addressing a rally of Muslim, Kshatriya and Vaish communities here to seek their support for the upcoming Assembly elections.

Her remark came in the wake of Gandhi stating that an "elephant" in Lucknow was eating away all the money sent by the Centre for the poor in Uttar Pradesh.

In an apparent reference to the ruling BSP and its poll symbol, the elephant, the Congress leader had taunted Mayawati saying poll-bound UP has decided to "throw away" this elephant.

Alleging that Congress was shying away from initiating any concrete steps to bring back black money stashed away abroad, Mayawati asked the party to announce that 50 per cent of it, if brought back, would be spent on UP.

"I challenge them to announce that they will spend 50 per cent of the black money brought from foreign countries for development of UP...I know they will not do that...The role of Congress leaders appears dubious due to which it is not taking strict action to bring back black money," she alleged.

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