2nd win for Anna; to fast at Ramlila Maidan

In a late night breakthrough in the deadlock between Anna Hazare and Delhi police over the duration of his anti-corruption protest, the Gandhian accepted the offer for 14 days of hunger strike beginning Thursday (August 18) at the Ramlila Maidan.

"Anna has accepted the DP (Delhi Police) permission for two weeks (of fast). Anna now shall be at the Ramlila Ground grd post 3PM", Hazare's aide Kiran Bedi twitted. 

The breakthrough came after a nearly 30-minute meeting Hazare aides Bedi, Prashant Bhushan, Manish Sisodia and Arvind Kejriwal had with Delhi Police Commissioner B K Gupta at the latter's residence in Chanakyapuri shortly after midnight. 

Bedi said the Police Commissioner offered permission for 14 days of protest by 73-year-old Hazare at the Ramlila Ground, after which she, along with Bhushan, Sisodia and Kejriwal went back to the Tihar Jail, where the social activist has been staying put ever since her arrest and release yesterday, to apprise him of the offer. 

Later, Bedi said on the micro-blogging site that Delhi Police "removed the unacceptable conditions and offered 15 days permission. Anna accepted there". 

"Anna has accepted the DP permission for two weeks. Anna now shall be at Ramlila grd post 3PM", she added. 

An announcement to this effect was also made by an associate of Hazare outside the Tihar jail, which was greeted with lusty cheers by hundreds of supporters by the Gandhian. "Anna has won. We will get Jan Lokpal Bill", one of the protesters said. 

The Anna team met the Delhi Police Commissioner in a fresh initiative to end the stalemate over the duration for the Gandhian's protest for a strong Lokpal during which police offered two weeks permission for the hunger strike. While Delhi police had climbed down and dropped almost all the conditions it had sought to impose on Hazare's protest, the only sticking point between the two sides has been the duration of the hunger strike. 

"We met the Police Commissioner to help resolve the timeframe", Bedi said. 

Kejriwal, who was staying with Hazare at Tihar even after his release from custody, Bhushan, Bedi and Sisodia drove from the prison, where they were holding a series of meetings with Hazare, to meet the police officials. 

Police, which had arrested Hazare and his aides on apprehension of breach of peace and foiled his agitation plans, on Wednesday climbed down and dropped most of the conditions including the limit on the number of protesters who can gather at the venue. 

In fact, police also offered Ramlila Maidan, a bigger venue than the JP Park which was originally preferred by Hazare, for the protest. Earlier in the day, Hazare escalated his battle of attrition with the government refusing to come out of Tihar Jail notwithstanding Delhi Police's climb down on the various conditions it had imposed on his indefinite fast in support of a strong Lokpal. 

The Gandhian spent a second night in the Tihar jail complex as hectic negotiations had continued between Team Anna and police. The hard bargaining came on a day when government came under renewed attack in Parliament over Hazare's arrest and rallies in support of the Gandhian continued across the country, including a huge procession from India Gate to Parliament House. 

On a day of now-on and now-off announcements, social activists Swami Agnivesh and Medha Patkar told cheering crowd of supporters in the morning that Hazare would come out of the jail anytime and they should be prepared to go to JP Park in a peaceful manner. 

However, Hazare, who continued his fast for the second day, seemed to have had other plans when he called Kiran Bedi, Prashant Bhushan and Manish Sisodia and discussed the strategy. Bedi came out and announced to the crowds that consultations were on and that Hazare was not coming out anytime soon. 

Then began the tough negotiations with Delhi Police officials who first agreed that Hazare can hold the protest fast for seven days after which the situation would be reviewed day after day. 

Police today made it clear that it has no objection to the number of protesters who can gather at the venue. As Hazare insisted that he be given 30 days permission for his protest, police made concessions stepping up from seven days to 14 days. 

The stand-off continued even as government came under renewed attack in Parliament from Opposition parties after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made a statement in both the Houses. 

Singh said Hazare was trying to impose his version of Lokpal Bill and his "totally misconceived path" was fraught with "dangerous consequences" for parliamentary democracy. Making similar points at the end of the debate on Prime Minister's statement in the Lok Sabha, Home Minister P Chidambaram said the Hazare has "undoubted right" to protest "as long as he wants" but subject to certain conditions.