Anna Hazare-led civil society will sit on fast at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday to protest the government action on yoga guru Baba Ramdev and would defy the prohibitory orders if police refuse to give permission.
Shanti Bhushan, co-chair of joint drafting committee on Lokpal, said they will sit on fast from 10 am to 7 pm on Wednesday at Jantar Mantar to protest the police action.
"The incident in Ramlila Maidan on Saturday was a blot on democracy. We will protest it. It is the right of public to protest and will sit there even if we do not have police permission," he told reporters here today.
Delhi Police had issued prohibitory orders in New Delhi district for a week in an bid to pre-empt any protest by Ramdev supporters.
Bhushan said the police action at Ramlila Maidan, where Ramdev and his followers were on a hunger strike on the issue of black money, was an assault on democracy. "So we have to decided to go there and sit on a fast in protest," he said.
Hazare had yesterday said that he would defy prohibitory orders if police deny permission for the protest, saying it was the right of public to raise voice against injustice.
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Another civil society member Arvind Kejriwal said they will conduct fast, an all religious prayer and a public debate on Lokpal Bill during their protest on Wednesday. "It will be a peaceful protest," he said.
Activist and former IPS officer Kiran Bedi said they will write to Delhi Police soon, seeking formal permission for sitting on the protest. "We will decide on whether to call off the protest or court arrest after police takes a stand on our letter," she said.
A senior police official said they could give permission to any protest depending upon the situation and reminded that police had permitted Hazare to go on his protest in April for Lokpal Bill when there were prohibitory orders.