Hazare warns of stir in Maharashtra over stronger lokayukta

Social activist and anti-corruption Anna Hazare, who has been relatively quiescent after his public fast in New Delhi that aroused the public and shook and stirred the government, seems to have picked up his guns again.

This time he has trained his guns on his home state of Maharashtra and its Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan of the Congress. In a strongly worded missive to Chavan, Hazare has threatened a fresh movement unless the state government introduces a bill for a stronger lokayukta (anti-corruption ombudsman) in Maharashtra.

Details are awaited, as the letter has not been made public as yet. But close associates of Hazare have told sections of the media that Hazare has threatened another agitation if the government does not take adequate steps for strengthening the lokayukta.

''The letter states that if by the end of the winter session of the Assembly, no concrete steps for a strong legislation giving more powers to the lokayukta are taken, he will go on hunger strike again,'' The Hindu quoted a Hazare close aide as saying.

This time the hunger strike will be held for seven days in Alandi, near Pune. Hazare has said that if the state government still fails to bring about a stronger legislation, there will be a state-wide jail bharo campaign on the seventh day of the hunger strike.

The letter points out that even though Maharashtra is one of the few states to have a lokayukta, he has no authority to take decisions.

Maharashtra was the first state to introduce the office of lokayukta in 1971.