Anna Hazare ends hunger strike after meeting Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis

Social activist Anna Hazare, who has been sitting on an indefinite hunger strike for the last seven days over the appointment of Lokpal, on Thursday ended his fast after meeting with Maharashtra CM Devendra.

"The Lokpal issue is still pending. Our chief minister is saying the issue will be solved within six months," Anna said after retracting the protest.

He was sitting on an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan since March 23 to press for his demands that also included implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report to address the growing agrarian distress in the country.

“The government has conveyed to us that a mechanism is being created to increase the minimum support prices by upto 150 per cent. The same was mentioned by the Centre in the Budget," he said.

Earlier on Monday, Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan had said that the government agreed upon nearly seven to eight of Hazare’s total 11 demands.

In 2011, Anna’s protest during the then UPA government had led to the passing of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013. However, the central government and various states were yet to appoint a Lokpal and a Lokayukta.

This time, Anna's protest also included the issue of farmers who were demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission report that advocates to increase the minimum support prices for their crops by up to 150 per cent.

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