Kiran Bedi meets Hazare over Lokpal Bill

Ahmednagar (Maharashtra), Dec 11 (IANS) Former IPS officer Kiran Bedi Wednesday urged the people of the country to vote against the Congress-led UPA at the centre if it failed to pass the Lokpal Bill in the ongoing session of parliament.

"The people of this country have conveyed a very clear message in the recent assembly elections to the UPA. They have chosen to elect a corruption-free alternative like the Aam Aadmi Party because of the massive awareness created by Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement since 2011," Bedi said during an interaction with reporters here.

Bedi, who was India's first woman police officer, and who has since retirement become an activist, was in Ahmednagar in Maharashtra to call on veteran anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare, who launched a hunger strike at his native village Ralegan-Siddhi since Tuesday, demanding the Lokpal Bill.

Bedi said that the emerging power of the youth will change the course of adamant politicians in a democratic manner, as was proven in the recent outcome of the assembly polls.

Targetting the Opposition, Bedi wanted to know why it was silent over the anti-corruption legislation drafted by civil society activists.

Later, Bedi met and discussed various issues with the 76-year old Hazare for over two hours at the Yadavbaba Temple in the village on the second day of his indefinite hunger strike, braving the chilly temperatures sweeping the region in the past few days.

Meanwhile, Hazare's blood pressure was slightly above normal and he lost nearly one kg weight on the second day of his hunger strike.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan also sent an emissary, Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat, to meet Hazare and persuade him to call off the hunger strike, but the latter did not relent.