Anna's fast enters day four, health a major concern

As Anna Hazare’s indefinite fast entered the fourth day on Wednesday, 400 of his supporters including Team member Arvind Kejriwal, who've been fasting for a week have warned against being forcibly hospitalised even as their health deteriorates.

Doctors on Wednesday said that the condition if Kejriwal was serious but not alarming. According to the morning health update, Kejriwal is weak. A meeting to find a way out from the health concerns is underway between Team Anna members.

Earlier, Anna Hazare on Tuesday ruled out any talks even with the Prime Minister and vowed to continue the stir till their demands are met while the government showed no signs of initiating negotiations with his team.

The tough postering of Hazare, who threatened to return the Padma Bhushan bestowed on him, came on a day when his close aides Arvind Kejriwal and Gopal Rai, whose fast entered the seventh day, were advised hospitalisation by doctors but they rejected it saying they were "not cowards who will give up because of health concerns".

The day also saw Team Anna targeting UPA government saying their mission is to ensure that "new and apt people" come to power in the 2014. It also attacked BJP alleging that it supported them earlier with a political motive.

During his address to protesters at Jantar Mantar this evening, Hazare said "the government says they will not send any representative to talk to us. We don't want anyone to come and talk to us. We don't need ministers to come and talk to us. The agitation will continue till our demands are met.

"I am not even ready to talk to the Prime Minister.... I can return Padma Bhushan right now. The people have given me such a big award," Hazare, who was awarded Padma Shri in 1990 and Padma Bhushan two years later, said.

He said he had earlier returned Padma Shri on the issue of corruption. "These awards were given to me not that I asked these. I am doing it for my country and for my people," he said.

Earlier in on Tuesday, Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan targeted government for not initiating a dialogue with Team Anna alleging that they want people like Hazare to die so that they can continue to loot the country. "Government yesterday said they were not ready to talk to us. This is their attitude. They have utmost disrespect for people. They want people like Anna, Arvind, Manish and others to die so that they can continue their loot," he said.

Political statements from the dais came from Kiran Bedi and Kumar Vishwas, with one taking on UPA in a veiled manner and the other attacking BJP.

"This mission will not stop till 2014 elections, till the time new and apt people come in power. We have to go till the end which is 2014 where people with Anna's blessings will come to power. Till then, our responsibility is to spread these words," Bedi said.

Referring to BJP chief Nitin Gadkari's reported comments that Team Anna should not target system in general, Vishwas said, "They supported our movement earlier but not now. I just want to say you were there in support because you had your own political motives. His party was with us because they thought it will help them win elections in five states."

Regretting the attack on mediapersons, Hazare told his supporters this morning that he "felt sad" after hearing about the attack on media accusing them of not giving proper coverage to the indefinite fast on corruption issues.

"If you indulge in violence, remember that the government can crush us in two days. They have the strength and laws to do that. In future, if these things happen again, at that moment I will call off this agitation. I don't approve of this. Let media do their work. Don't bother about what they do," he said.

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