Anti-social elements are tryng to spark some violence: Arvind Kejriwal

Stating that corrupt people are sweating with fear, civil society activist Arvind Kejriwal on Monday urged supporters of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare to remain united, as there are reports of anti-social forces hampering the movement.

Addressing supporters at the Ramlila Ground here, Kejriwal said: "Many people have got scared looking at the density of the crowd. Corrupt people are sweating with fear and today we have got information that some anti-social elements would try to spark some violence in some parts of the country."

"Some miscreants would creep in the demonstrations. I request all of you to be aware of your surroundings. We have to keep our unity intact," he added.

Kejriwal reiterated that the government's version of the Lokpal Bill is ineffective in rooting out corruption from the political and administrative system.
 
"In the joint committee meeting, we kept pleading in front of the ministers and asked them to think about the 'aam aadmi' (common man). We told them that if they think about the common man then they would get votes, but they did not agree," he said.

Meanwhile, another civil society representative Kiran Bedi said the government's version of the Lokpal Bill has failed to address several issues and would not effectively deal with corruption.
 
"Unless the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) does not get independent political powers we will not go from here and this should come in the law. We need to bring this in the law otherwise we would not be able to attain a corrupt free country," Bedi said.

Veteran social activist Anna Hazare, whose fast for a strong Lokpal entered the seventh day today, earlier warned of an unprecedented revolution in the country if the Jan Lokpal Bill is not passed by August 30.

"If the government does not get the Jan Lokpal Bill passed by August 30, there would be an unprecedented revolution in the country by the people.... The government will have to either get the bill passed (in Parliament) or go," he told the gathering at the Ramlila Ground on Sunday.

Noting that he has been fighting against corruption for the past 20 years, Hazare said the government has betrayed the citizens of the country on the Lokpal issue, despite constituting a joint committee for the drafting of the Bill.

"They constituted a joint committee after my fast in April. But nothing came out of that meeting despite talking for two months. They betrayed civil society.... The government's intention to fight corruption is not noble," he added.