It looks like the Manmohan Singh led UPA government grossly underestimated the capabilities of an old freedom struggle veteran. Anna Hazare has shown steel in his bones and he has succeeded in gaining massive nationwide support in his fight against corruption.
The UPA government shot itself in the foot when it decided to arrest Anna Hazare and shift him to the Tihar Jail in a bid to stop him from his indefinite fast. But little did it realize that the arrests shifted the focus from the Lokpal Bill to the ‘undemocratic acts’ of the government. The entire country and the opposition parties united to drown the government in a tidal wave of anger.
Hasty meetings between the government ministers and congress party seniors resulted in the government’s decision to free Hazare. The Congress Party’s media managers even tried to project this change of heart as Rahul Gandhi’s initiative but the nation was not in a mood to listen. The old man outfoxed the government once again and as of the time of writing this article, Anna Hazare is still in Tihar Jail.
He has refused to walk out of the jail unless the government gives him unconditional permission to conduct his fast against the Lokpal Bill. By 11 pm on Tuesday, there was a crowd of at least 3000 people outside the prison complex – students, elderly couples, even working professionals.
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