New Delhi, Aug 27 (IANS) Expectations that Anna Hazare will end his fast Saturday suffered a blow after his aides accused the government of going back on its pledge to move a resolution on the Lokpal bill in parliament.
Emerging from talks with Law Minister Salman Khurshid, activists Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan said the government had refused to move a resolution over three key demands from Hazare.
"This will be a very unfortunate response to what Anna Hazare has written to the PM," Bhushan told reporters, adding it was now for the 74-year-old Hazare to decide if he should call off his 12-day fast.
He said Khurshid had told them that "there won't be any resolution or voting" at the end of Saturday's discussion in parliament, only "a sense of the house".
Sounding disappointed, he said: "We were given the impression last night that there will be a resolution after parliament discusses the matter or a voting. But now we are told that it won't happen.
"Now this is not what we had understood at all. This is not going to be helpful or meaningful.
"If the government is serious about (Hazare ending the fast), let them at least move a resolution... This will be a very unfortunate response to what Hazare has written to the PM."
Kejriwal was more blunt: "This is nothing but cheating. The government has gone back on its word four times."
Bhaiyyu Maharaj, who is acting as a mediator between Team Anna and the government, said: "They said they will try to get a resolution passed... I am very concerned about Anna's health."
After back-channel discussions the whole of Friday, it appeared that the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had agreed to move a resolution in parliament on three key issues raised by Hazare: having Lokayuktas in every state, citizen's charters for government departments, and inclusion of lower bureaucracy in the Lokpal's ambit.
The sudden development put a question mark on the future of the hunger strike by Hazare, who has become visibly weak as his hunger strike seeking a strong Lokpal bill entered the 12th day Friday.
Thousands were still packing the sprawling Ramlila ground in the heart of Delhi where Hazare is fasting. He began his protest Aug 16 shortly after he was detained by Delhi Police.