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Anna Hazare announces indefinite fast against farm laws, calls it off after meeting Fadnavis, other BJP leaders

Social activist Anna Hazare on Friday put on hold the indefinite fast against the new farm laws and claimed that the Central government has agreed to some of his demands.

In a statement earlier in the day, 84-year-old Anna Hazare had announced that he will be starting the hunger strike from his village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra on Saturday.

Hazare had said he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar five times on the plight of farmers but to no avail.

"The Union government has agreed to some of my demands and also announced setting up a committee to improve the lives of farmers. I have decided to suspend my proposed indefinite fast starting from Saturday," news agency PTI quoted Hazare as saying.

Hazare, while announcing the hunger strike, had said that he has been demanding reforms in the agriculture sector, but the Centre doesn’t seem to be taking the right decisions.

"The Centre has no sensitivity left for farmers, which is why I am starting my indefinite fast at my village from January 30," he had said and appealed to his supporters not to flock to his village district in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to news agency ANI, MoS Agriculture Kailash Choudhary along with BJP leader and Maharashtra Leader of Opposition (LoP) Devendra Fadnavis met Hazare at his hometown Ralegansiddhi on Friday to convince him to not start the protest.

"It was decided in today’s meeting that a committee comprising members from Agriculture Ministry, NITI Aayog and some members recommended by Anna Hazare will make a proposal in next six months to implement/fulfil Anna Hazare’s demands related to farmers," ANI quoted a statement from Anna Hazare’s Office after the meeting.

Hazare, who was at the forefront of the anti-corruption movement in 2011, had recalled that when he went on a hunger strike at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, the then UPA government had called a special session of Parliament.

Earlier News:

Anna Hazare to launch indefinite fast against farm laws from tomorrow

MUMBAI: Activist Anna Hazare has announced that he would be launching an indefinite hunger strike against the Union government’s new farm laws on Saturday at his village Ralegaon Siddhi in Maharashtra. "I have been demanding reforms in the agriculture sector, but the Centre doesn’t seem to be taking right decisions," he said in a statement issued on Thursday.

"The Centre has no sensitivity left for farmers, which is why I am starting my indefinite fast at my village from January 30," he said.
Hazare, 83, also appealed his supporters not to flock to his village in Ahmednagar district in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

Thousands of farmers have been protesting at Delhi’s borders demanding rollback of the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.