Anna can use Ramlila Maidan conditionally till September 2: Government

Permission had been given to Anna Hazare and his associates for his fast at Ramlila Maidan till September 2 and it is conditional, Home Secretary RK Singh said today.

He said that the government was not involved in any discussion with Team Anna and it was the Delhi Police who held the talks and resolved the issue "amicably".

"The Delhi Police discussed with Team Anna and, thereafter, they have come to a decision. What the Delhi Police conveyed to the Ministry of Home Affairs is that the permission was given till September two on the usual sort of conditions," he told reporters here.

Singh said it was not proper to say that the agreement was  a victory for one side and defeat for the other "but the basic issue was that permission for certain ground and certain period was given with some sort of conditions.

"If someone is saying that this is a victory or something, this is not the right way to say. This is not a question of victory or defeat," he said.

The Home Secretary said conditions of a particular ground mandated a certain size of crowd as well as of available parking.

"An agreement has been reached on another ground and the size of that ground is much larger. So the size of the crowd does not matter," the Home Secretary said, referring to Ramlila Maidan.

He said, "Conditions are there. Some conditions remain same. For example, the condition of using loud speakers remains the same as the condition imposed for the earlier ground. The condition that the doctors will examine remains the same. Doctors will examine. The organisers and the Delhi Police have agreed to these conditions."

Singh said Team Anna has to make its own arrangements on "basic" issues and whenever the ground would be ready, they would go there.

"The issue has been resolved by the Delhi Police through negotiation and through complete understanding. It was good," he said.