Anna's health worsens, but fast continues

New Delhi: Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare's health has deteriorated with his blood pressure shooting up and heart beat becoming irregular. A check-up by the doctors also revealed that Hazare, who is sitting on fast for three days at the MMRDA ground in Mumbai, had fever.

Sources said that Hazare could be hospitilised on Tuesday night depending on the health condition and result of the blood test report.

Government is keeping a close watch on the health condition of Hazare.

An ambulance has been called in even as the Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan appealed to him to call off his fast.

The veteran social activist has been ignoring requests from his close associates to call off his hunger strike.

Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal early in the day said that Hazare's fever has shot up to 102 Fahrenheit and his pulse rate too has increased considerably.

Kejriwal added that Hazare is not ready to end his fast.

Kejriwal also informed that Hazare's blood pressure is 170/100.

Another Team Anna member Manish Sisodia said, "We are very concerned about Annaji's health. We tried to convince him to call off the fast, but he is determined to continue. We want Lokpal bill, but we also want Annaji."

As 74-year-old Hazare sat on the fast at the MMRDA ground, the estimate of people at the venue varied between 4,000 to 10,000.

Team Anna had said that they expected over 1 lakh people to turn up at the protest venue in Mumbai. In Delhi too, a negligible number of protesters were at Ramlila Maidan.

Addressing the protesters early in the day, Hazare vowed to continue the "fight to the finish", warning the UPA government that he will campaign against it in the upcoming Assembly elections in five states and later in the Lok Sabha polls.

Hazare, who began the latest round of protest ignoring concerns over his health, asserted that the ambit of his agitation will soon be expanded to include radical electoral reforms like Right to Reject candidates.

Hazare, who is suffering from viral infection, reaffirmed his decision to campaign against the Congress in all the five election-bound states that includes Uttar Pradesh.

There was some drama on way as around 20 men briefly stoped his convoy at Bandra and showed him black flags. The protesters shouting "Anna Hazare murdabad" were soon removed by the police.

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