India: We will campaign against govt in general elections, Hazare

New Delhi, Dec 10 (PTI) On the eve of a day-long fast to protest against a parliamentary standing committee report on the Lokpal (Ombudsman) Bill, social activist Anna Hazare today said the Indian Government has "cheated" the entire country and that he will carry on his anti-corruption campaign till the next Parliament elections to create awareness against the ruling United Progressive Alliance. The social activist said he suspected the Congress party general secretary Rahul Gandhi to be behind the standing committee rejecting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's promise to include a citizen's charter, the lower bureaucracy and state-level Lokayuktas (ombudsmen) in the Lokpal Bill. "They have cheated the whole country. The Prime Minister had given in writing that these three issues would be brought under the Lokpal Bill. The Prime Minister's letter was thrown into the dustbin. Why this volte face? Is (the standing committee chairman) Singhvi's post higher than that of the Prime Minister?" Hazare said at a press conference here today. "There is somebody behind who is bigger than the Prime Minister. We suspect Rahul Gandhi could be behind this. Who else can dare to challenge the Prime Minister? That is why there are these problems," Hazare said. Hazare was referring to the standing committee headed by Abhishek Singhvi which has disfavoured inclusion of the lower Group C and D employees of government, and kept out a citizen's charter and the creation of Lokayuktas from the proposed bill. Hazare, who will hold a day-log fast in New Delhi tomorrow in furtherance of his mission, said he will resume his anti-corruption agitation from December 27 and then carry it on for the next two years, till the Parliament elections. Election to Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, are due in May 2014. Hazare has been for a strong Lokpal Bill including the three points listed above and its adoption in the winter session of Parliament which concludes on December 23. He had threatened his anti-corruption campaign if that was not done and in the time limit set by him. PTI Caption for pic: Indian social activist Anna Hazare, flanked by his associates Shanti Bhushan (R) and Arvind Kejriwal addressing the media in New Delhi on Saturday. PTI Photo