Anna Hazare to protest against Modi Govt, says huge gap between prime minister's words and acts

Anna Hazare, the face of the 2011 satyagraha movement that took the country by storm, on Tuesday announced a protest against the Modi Government on March 23, next year.

March 23 is observed as the Martyrs' Day.   

Hazare is reportedly upset over the non-appointment of Lokpal for the last four years. Hazare was addressing a press conference in New Delhi where he accused the BJP-led central government of not being serious about fighting corruption.

He said the recent amendments to the Lokpal Act, which removed a clause that made public servants declaring their assets compulsory, reflected the government's intention in fighting graft.

Over government’s contention that Lokpal could not be appointed as there was no Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Hazare added and asserted that it could at least appoint the Lokayuktas in the BJP-ruled states.

Hazare said he had written over 30 letters to the NDA government, but received no response, and wondered whether there was any "ego" involved in not responding to his letters, which questioned the non-appointment of Lokpal.

Hazare also attacked the Centre over the plight of farmers in the country and said the government had failed to honour its promise of implementing the Swaminathan Commission report and that the farmers would get 50 percent more money over their investments in cultivation.

"Since 1995, 12 lakh farmers have committed suicide in the country and the governments have shown no sensitivity towards them. There is a huge gap between the prime minister's words and acts," Hazare said. 

(With PTI inputs)