Anna to continue his fast at Ramlila ground tomorrow

Written By DNA Web Team | Updated: Aug 18, 2011, 04:24 PM IST

Hazare will spend the night at Tihar Jail. Activist and close aide Arvind Kejriwal said that the Gandhian's health is fine.

Anna Hazare will launch his protest at Ramlila Maidan tomorrow as the venue is yet to get readied for the fast and will stay for one more night in Tihar Jail, activist Arvind Kejriwal said.

"I spoke to Annaji. In view of the conditions at Ramlila Maidan, Annaji will reach Ramlila Maidan tomorrow," Kejriwal said.

Another Hazare associate Kiran Bedi said the Gandhian will not move out of Tihar Jail till he embarks on his journey to Ramlila Maidan to launch the protest.

Hazare reached an agreement with government early this morning on the protest venue and the conditions.

As soon as Hazare announced that he would move to Ramlila, MCD which owns the ground deployed around 100 workers to clean the facility but the work was so massive that they could not finish it by the afternoon as desired by the Gandhian's team.

Earlier, Bedi had said that Hazare will go to the Maidan after 3 pm today.

Hazare was lodged in Tihar Jail on Tuesday evening after he was detained for going ahead with his plans to defy prohibitory orders in JP Park here. However, he was released later but he refused to come out of the prison demanding that there should not be any restrictions on his protest.

After hard bargaining for two days, Hazare and government reached an agreement early this morning under which Delhi Police removed all restrictions and allowed him to carry out his hunger strike for 15 days in the spacious Ramlila Maidan.

The breakthrough came in the wee hours of the day after top aides of Hazare met Delhi Police Commissioner BK Gupta.

Swami Agnivesh later said Hazare will leave Tihar for Ramlila Maidan tomorrow morning as the venue for his protest will be ready only by tonight.

He said Hazare will go to the Ramlila Maidan along with his supporters in a procession.

On the Gandhian's health, Agnivesh said a medical check up was done and his blood pressure was normal.

"He has not eaten anything for the last three days," said Agnivesh.

Activist Medha Patkar appealed to Hazare supporters to come to Ramlila Maidan.

"We have to take this fight of Janlokpal Bill forward. We need to be present at Ramlila grounds in good numbers," she said addressing the supporters outside Tihar.

Magsaysay award winner Sandeep Pandey also joined the gathering outside Tihar.