Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 7: Training guns at Narendra Modi led NDA Government, famed social activist Anna Hazare today said that this Government forgot each promise of election days of bringing black money back from foreign banks to the country within 30 days, work for poor and farming community of the country and bring back ‘good days’ for countrymen but in turn, the people are feeling deceived now.
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Addressing public gathering in the winter capital city here today, Anna Hazare said, “ I kept silent for more than three years with the hope of good days as promised by the people now ruling the country. I thought some reasonable time should be given to them. They made big promises with the innocent people of this country before previous Lok Sabha elections to bring back black money from foreign banks and also deposit Rs 15 lakh in each account of poor people here. Bring ‘Achhe Din’ for countrymen, but these promises proved white lie and the people are now feeling duped,” Hazare said.
“ I have been forced by these people (BJP leaders) to come back to Ram Lila Maidan at Delhi and launch decisive agitation. From March 23, I would launch Jan Andolan against this Government. I had been moving in the entire country for the last three months from Assam to Gujarat and from South to North to seek public support. So far, I have received support from 37 lakhs people. A large number of people from various parts of the country would start reaching Delhi and he would take his battle against the ‘system’ to the decisive phase,” Hazare declared.
Launching attack on BJP -led Government, Hazare said they have weakened the Lokpal Bill and not implemented it. They diluted the important provisions of the Bill and exempted bureaucrats’ families to disclose their assets/ properties every year making way for corruption. They did the same for the family members of the politicians as well.
“This Government is not well wisher of the farmers and poor people but is working for the capitalists and industrialists. They are not interested in bringing reforms in fixing prices for agriculture produce of farmers but seemed eager for introducing GST or go for demonetisation. If they brought everything under GST then why they kept petrol/ diesel out of the purview of GST. They did it because, they have developed habit of ‘eating cream,” he maintained.
He demanded that price fixation committee at State and Central levels should be made an autonomous body. The Government owned committee has failed to do justice with the farmers. Lakhs of farmers are committing suicide. In past 22 years, 12 lakh farmers have committed suicide. They are not getting good price of their crop. The Bill to provide pension to farmers after attaining age of 60 having no source of income is gathering dust in the Lok Sabha cupboards since long. There is need to expert pressure on the Government to remind it about its promises made with the people. They will have to act. Otherwise, they will also have to go, Hazare maintained.
Later, talking to reporters Anna said with cross firing on borders in Jammu sector, both countries will not achieve anything out of it. Such a situation will bring both the countries decades back. Pakistan should be told to desist from such acts and if that country did not understand that language then let the war be declared against it, he added.
When asked that many people like Arvind Kejriwal and General V K Singh used his platform to achieve success in political field, Anna said, he would not allow any one to use his platform now onwards. He will seek affidavit from those sharing platform, with the promise/ oath not to jump into politics in future.
Commenting on bringing down or vandalisation of statues, Anna Hazare said it is not a good thing happening in the country.
“It is not good what is happening in the country. These statues have been built in recognition of their work,” the 80-year-old activist said in response to a question about damage caused to statues of various personalities in different parts of the country.
Two statues of communist icon Vladimir Lenin were pulled down in Tripura and a bust of Dravidian leader E V Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar, in Tamil Nadu, over the past couple of days while a bust of Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee was today vandalised in south Kolkata.
Asked about message to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Hazare said the country is faced with a lot of problems but these would not get resolved through “lathis or guns”.
“The more we adopt peaceful means, the more the issues will get resolved. Non-violence is more powerful than violent means,” he said apparently referring to militants. He said the people of Kashmir are not outsiders but “our own brothers”.
Hazare said the whole world praised the 2011 agitation spearheaded by him in the country. “Not a single stone was thrown anywhere during that agitation”, he claimed.
He lashed out at the BJP-led Government at the Centre, saying “it is not moving towards strengthening democracy in the country but adopting a dictatorial approach like the Britishers”.
Anna arrived here on the invitation of International Anti-Corruption and Human Rights Council chairperson, Manjot Singh Kohli to seek support of the people for his upcoming agitation over Jan Lokpal and farmers issues in New Delhi later this month. However, the attendance at the rally was very low, which Kohli attributed to lack of campaign due to busy schedule of the social activist.
“There is no need to get frustrated over the turnout. I salute your efforts as youth is the power of the country,” he said in his address.
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