…Over to Ramlila Maidan

…Over to Ramlila Maidan

NEW DELHI.August 18,2011. 06.26 AM  IST. :  After a series of hectic parleys spread over 36 hours, the team Anna and Delhi police have reached a settlement over the duration of Anna Hazare’s  anti-corruption protest. The Gandhian has accepted the offer for 14 days of hunger strike beginning on Thursday at the Ramlila Maidan.

“Anna has accepted the DP (Delhi Police) permission for two weeks (of fast). Anna now shall be at the Ramlila Maidan post 3PM”, tweeted Anna team member Kiran Bedi.

The breakthrough came late midnight after a half an hour long meeting between Hazare aides Bedi, Prashant Bhushan, Manish Sisodia and Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi Police commissioner B K Gupta at the latter’s residence in Chanakyapuri .

Police  commissioner agreed to grant the  permission for 14 days of protest by Hazare at the Ramlila Ground, after an initial offer of 7 days. After the agreement team Anna consisting of Kiran Bedi, Prashant Bhushan, Manish Sisodia and Arvind Kejriwal left back for Tihar Jail, where Anna inside and a huge crowd outside has been carrying with their peaceful protest against corruption. Anna by fasting since 16^th morning and crowds by raising slogans and sitting in the most orderly fashion.

The team, on return first briefed Anna about the outcome of the meeting. Once Anna nodded to the agreement, the news was shared with huge gathering outside Tihar jail. This was greeted with loud voices of cheers.

This is being seen as a huge victory for Anna protest over the government of the day, which had imposed earlier none less than 22 conditions to allow the Anna protest against corruption and the demand to introduce Jan Lok Pal Bill in place of the weak official Lok Pal Bill. Now almost every unreasonable condition like a maximum of 3 days fasting, limited gathering of 5000 people and parking for only 50 vehicles at the dharna site has been withdrawn.