Hazare vows to continue fast as talks falter on sticky issues

The widespread hopes of a breakthrough today in the standoff between the government and 'team Hazare' over the Lokpal bill for an anti-corruption watchdog seem unlikely to materialise, going by Anna Hazare's latest statements.

On the ninth day of his well-attended public fast in Delhi, the 74-year-old social activist said the government was not serious about tackling the widespread culture of graft and corruption in the country, and is still not honest in its efforts. He said he would continue to fast till all of his team's outstanding demands are met.

Team Anna and the government's chief interlocutor Pranab Mukherjee, the most senior member of the cabinet, met on Tuesday but did not reach an agreement on three of the stickiest issues – a citizens' charter to make all government officials directly accountable; including the lower bureaucracy in the ambit of the bill; and setting up state lokayuktas through the lokpal.

"Yesterday, the government agreed to our demands but kept a decision pending on three issues," a frail-looking Hazare told the gathering at Ramlila Maidan where he is sitting on fast.

Carrying forward their dialogue, today the government and team Anna today held another round of discussions to sort out the sticky issues; with the government insisting that ending the fast is more urgent than passing a lokpal bill.

Law minister Salman Khurshid met Hazare's associates Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and Kiran Bedi at his residence to resolve differences which persisted after last night's deliberations between the civil society activists and Mukherjee.