As the Government went into a huddle with all political parties to end the Lokpal Bill impasse, Mr Anna Hazare declared that he could fast for another nine days.

“My fast has entered the ninth day. Nothing will happen to me. I can fast for another nine days. We will fight together,” the 74-yesar-old social activist told a gathering at Ramlila Maidan on Wednesday.

He addressed the crowd for almost 20 minutes amid concerns over his health. Sources said the doctors attending to him advised hospitalisation but Mr Hazare refused to do so.

In another development, three BJP leaders, Mr Yashwant Sinha and Mr Shatrughan Sinha offered to quit as Members of Parliament, accusing their party of not taking up the cause of corruption “seriously enough”. Their resignations were not accepted.

The former Finance Minister and Hazaribagh MP made the move at the BJP Parliamentary party meeting chaired by Mr L.K. Advani, which expressed concern over Mr Hazare’s health and appealed to him to end his fast.

comment COMMENT NOW