8/7/2019 India Supports Anna Hazare in Real and Virtual World

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8/7/2019 India Supports Anna Hazare in Real and Virtual World

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Thousands flocked to Jantar Mantar, a short distance from Parliament House, which became a virtual lodestone for all seeking to right governmental wrongs. The gathering included Magsaysay award winners Medha Patkar, ArvindKejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Sandeep Pandey.

Students and human rights activists in the evening held a candlelight march.

Thousands more stepped out of their homes in various states to be counted amongst those in this fight. The wordhad spread through mouth and also through social networking sites and SMSes.

At the Lucknow University, for instance, scores gathered at the Jhulelal Park where three social activists have beenfasting since Tuesday.

In Bangalore, four people were on an indefinite fast as part of the nationwide campaign and scores more joined in arelay hunger strike.

In what appeared to be a truly pan-India sentiment, ditto was the story in Agra and hundreds of other towns.

Even the normally apolitical Bollywood stepped out to pledge its support.

Film star Aamir Khan wrote to Manmohan Singh asking him to pay "heed to the voice of Hazare"

"I am merely one of many who fully support Hazare, and have come to appreciate that this upright man is willing tosacrifice his life in the fight against corruption."

Veteran actor Anupam Kher tweeted: "When somebody is fighting corruption, I don't judge his ways. I applaud hisintentions and actions. I am with ANNA HAZARE. Are you?:),"

The government tried to extend an olive branch saying it was "certainly not opposed to any of the suggestions".

"We are committed to set up an institutional mechanism to deal with corruption, the prime minister is committed, our chairperson Sonia Gandhi is committed, so the party is committed, the government is committed," Human ResourceDevelopment Minister Kapil Sibal said.

As the pressure built up, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar stepped down from the high-powered anti-graftministerial panel after Hazare's criticised his inclusion.

In the activists' version of the bill, investigation in any graft case will have to be completed in one year andpunishment would be a jail term of minimum five years and maximum of life imprisonment.

The government's version recommends a prison term of minimum six months and maximum seven years aspunishment for corruption.

Another key difference is over the powers to initiate action. While the government view is that the Lokpal will onlyinvestigate complaints forwarded by the Lok Sabha speaker or the Rajya Sabha chairperson, the activists believe theLokpal should have the powers to initiate investigations suo motu and also directly get complaints from the public.