'I do not need any kind of police security', says Anna

Ralegan Siddhi, Sep 4 (ANI): Veteran social activist Anna Hazare on Sunday refused to be guarded by top grade police officials in Maharashtra even as he stressed on a stronger Lokpal Bill.

Krishna Prakash, Superintendent of Police of Maharashtra's Ahmednagar District, earlier said that following Hazare's rise to the status of a national icon, it was imperative that adequate security be provided to him.

Hazare, however, said that he was an ordinary man and would not want any security. He also said that had the freedom fighters of India's Independence of 1947 sought security, India would have never achieved Independence.

"I do not need any kind of security by police. People also die of heart attacks and in such a scenario security cannot really help. I would be happy to die for the people of the country. I am not scared of dying. I am also writing an official letter to the police department suggesting them to withdraw any security," said Hazare.

"Had the freedom fighters of India's Independence struggle like Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev asked for any special security, we could have never achieved Independence as a nation," he added.

Hazare further said that he is not against the Central Government, but it's intentions of tackling the issue of corruption.

"I am not against the Central Government, but we oppose it's intentions in the entire issue of corruption, because it can be detrimental for the citizens of India. This is not a fight against them, but introducing a strong legislation to tackle corruption in the country as a whole," he said.

Hazare said that further interruptions in the enactment of Lokpal Bill would lead to another agitation by him.

"We trust the Indian Parliament and it's proceedings. If in any case Janlokpal Bill is not approved we would start another agitation," he added.

Hazare, 74, went on an indefinite fast last month over his demand for a strong and effecive Lokpal Bill.

The 74-year-old social activist broke his fast over 288 hour-long fast on August 28 after securing Parliament's nod on key elements of Jan Lokpal bill after both the Houses of Parliament agreed in principle with his three key demands.

Both Houses of Parliament adopted a resolution on the sense of house accepting key demands of Hazare on citizen charter, lower bureaucracy to be under the ambit of Lokpal and establishment of state Lokayuktas and power of Lokpal to penalise grievance redressal mechanism violators. (ANI)