A veteran Indian activist on Thursday threatened to launch another protest against corruption, accusing the government of trying to scuttle a proposed anti-graft bill. The 73-year-old Anna Hazare’s threat came four days after Swami Ramdev, a celebrity TV yoga guru, called off an eight-day fast he had launched to protest against corruption.
“The government made empty promises and then turned their back on us and we are now ready to start our protest again and go back to our agitation,” Hazare told a news conference in New Delhi. “We have an example before us of Baba Ramdev whose peaceful protest was disrupted,” he said.
“But we are not worried. We are ready to face even bullets,” the activist added. In April, Hazare’s 98-hour hunger strike against corruption gained widespread national support and won concessions from the government over the drafting of an anti-corruption law.
Hunger strikes, a traditional Indian protest, have become a focus of resentment over the corruption that plagues all levels of life in India from massive government contracts to small daily bribes.
Ramdev drew tens of thousands of supporters to his own anti-graft hunger strike in New Delhi until police moved in to break up the demonstration on June 4, saying it was illegal. Police wielding sticks cleared Ramdev’s protest, leaving scores of his supporters injured.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was sharply criticised for the police conduct, but he said they had no choice but to act. Ramdev, whose daily television show is watched by millions, has also vowed to launch protests around the country against corruption.
