Click to Expand & PlayNew Delhi: Anna Hazare has refused to be hospitalised despite doctors warning that his blood pressure and vital signs are worrying. A visibly weakened Anna explained to thousands of supporters, "My conscience doesn't permit me to end my fast. Even if my kidney fails, won't one of you donate one to me? I will die for this country. If the government sends someone to forcibly move me to hospital, block the exits. But I am stressing, do not engage in any violence."
A few hours before this worrying medical bulletin was shared, the Prime Minister wrote to the 74-year-old activist, urging him to end his hunger strike against corruption.
"Despite the differences between the Government and your team," the PM wrote, "I do not think that anybody is or should be in any doubt about the deep and abiding concern which I and our Government share about your health, arising from your continuing fast."
Despite his frail condition on the eighth day of his fast, Anna addressed thousands today at his sit-in protest at Ramlila Maidan. "I am fine...my doctors will not permit me to die," he said, vowing that he will not eat till his version of the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill is passed in parliament.
In his letter, Dr Manmohan Singh offered to have Anna's bill placed before a parliamentary committee in charge of handling the Lokpal Bill. This committee - the Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Personnel - has so far been scrutinizing the government's version of the Bill. The activists led by Anna say that this draft is weak and provides too many outs to public servants accused of corruption.
The PM stressed, "I have maintained that your and our object is identical viz. to reduce significantly, if not eliminate, the scourge of corruption from this country. At worst, our paths and methodologies may differ, though I do believe that even those differences have been exaggerated."
Team Anna has so far said it wants its Bill to be debated directly by Parliament; various close associates of Anna's like lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan have dismissed the Standing Committee's deliberations as "a delaying tactic" because the panel's recommendations are not binding.
The government's newly-solicitous attitude towards Team Anna comes after it has sullenly watched thousands of people embrace Anna's war-cry against corruption. His camp in Delhi has drawn unprecedented crowds despite the alternately hot and rainy days that Delhi has traversed recently.
The Prime Minister met with Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi this evening to discuss the Anna crisis; and the government's senior-most minister, Pranab Mukherjee, has been deputed to lead the talks with Anna's aides.
Emerging from their late night meeting with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Team Anna said that while the meeting was held in a good atmosphere, there was no commitment yet from the government's side.The government asked the Team Anna representatives - Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi - to request Mr Hazare to call-off his hunger strike. They said Anna may not relent till there was a written commitment from the government's side. (Read: Talks with Govt fruitful, says Team Anna)
The official negotiations were launched at a meeting between Law Minister Salman Khurshid and Anna's close aide, Arvind Kejriwal. "Time is running out," said Mr Khurshid. "We need to find a solution fast...and a solution is possible through such talks," said the Law Minister.
The Lokpal Bill provides for an independent agency that will examine charges of corruption against public servants. Team Anna says the government has deliberately drafted a weak Bill that will not effectively combat systematic venality. So they drafted their own version of the Bill. Two weeks ago, the government ignored Team Anna's Bill and introduced its own in Parliament.The activists declared war and delivered on their threat that Anna would start a fast and appeal to Indians to join his demonstration against corruption.
Among Anna's main objections to the government's draft of the Lokpal Bill is that it doesn't apply to the PM, senior judges or junior bureaucrats. While the government may agree to let the Bill apply to the Prime Minister, the activists say they could be persuaded to accept other pieces of legislation that would tackle corruption among senior judges and junior bureaucrats
A few hours before this worrying medical bulletin was shared, the Prime Minister wrote to the 74-year-old activist, urging him to end his hunger strike against corruption.
"Despite the differences between the Government and your team," the PM wrote, "I do not think that anybody is or should be in any doubt about the deep and abiding concern which I and our Government share about your health, arising from your continuing fast."
Despite his frail condition on the eighth day of his fast, Anna addressed thousands today at his sit-in protest at Ramlila Maidan. "I am fine...my doctors will not permit me to die," he said, vowing that he will not eat till his version of the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill is passed in parliament.
In his letter, Dr Manmohan Singh offered to have Anna's bill placed before a parliamentary committee in charge of handling the Lokpal Bill. This committee - the Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Personnel - has so far been scrutinizing the government's version of the Bill. The activists led by Anna say that this draft is weak and provides too many outs to public servants accused of corruption.
The PM stressed, "I have maintained that your and our object is identical viz. to reduce significantly, if not eliminate, the scourge of corruption from this country. At worst, our paths and methodologies may differ, though I do believe that even those differences have been exaggerated."
Team Anna has so far said it wants its Bill to be debated directly by Parliament; various close associates of Anna's like lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan have dismissed the Standing Committee's deliberations as "a delaying tactic" because the panel's recommendations are not binding.
The government's newly-solicitous attitude towards Team Anna comes after it has sullenly watched thousands of people embrace Anna's war-cry against corruption. His camp in Delhi has drawn unprecedented crowds despite the alternately hot and rainy days that Delhi has traversed recently.
The Prime Minister met with Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi this evening to discuss the Anna crisis; and the government's senior-most minister, Pranab Mukherjee, has been deputed to lead the talks with Anna's aides.
Emerging from their late night meeting with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Team Anna said that while the meeting was held in a good atmosphere, there was no commitment yet from the government's side.The government asked the Team Anna representatives - Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi - to request Mr Hazare to call-off his hunger strike. They said Anna may not relent till there was a written commitment from the government's side. (Read: Talks with Govt fruitful, says Team Anna)
The official negotiations were launched at a meeting between Law Minister Salman Khurshid and Anna's close aide, Arvind Kejriwal. "Time is running out," said Mr Khurshid. "We need to find a solution fast...and a solution is possible through such talks," said the Law Minister.
The Lokpal Bill provides for an independent agency that will examine charges of corruption against public servants. Team Anna says the government has deliberately drafted a weak Bill that will not effectively combat systematic venality. So they drafted their own version of the Bill. Two weeks ago, the government ignored Team Anna's Bill and introduced its own in Parliament.The activists declared war and delivered on their threat that Anna would start a fast and appeal to Indians to join his demonstration against corruption.
Among Anna's main objections to the government's draft of the Lokpal Bill is that it doesn't apply to the PM, senior judges or junior bureaucrats. While the government may agree to let the Bill apply to the Prime Minister, the activists say they could be persuaded to accept other pieces of legislation that would tackle corruption among senior judges and junior bureaucrats
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