Confusion prevailed over Anna Hazare's protest plans on Monday with a prominent Municipal Corporation of Delhi functionary saying that the civic body has not given permission for the agitation at Ramlila Maidan even as Team Anna insisted that they have got the nod.
MCD Standing Committee Chairman Yogender Chandolia said no permission has been given to Hazare for using the Ramlila Maidan for his protest next month. Team Anna said Hazare will lead the protest in Delhi if a strong Lokpal Bill is not passed in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.
"No permission has been given yet," Chandolia, a senior local Bharatiya Janata Party leader, said when asked about claims by Team Anna that they have been given permission to use the Maidan from December 27 to January 5 for the protest. However, a senior MCD official said permission has not been denied.
"But permission has also not been given. We have received an application from Team Anna saying that they want to book the Maidan. They said they want the ground after the Winter Session. No dates were mentioned. We told them that we have to see the bookings. Now we are looking into it. We there are no bookings, they may get it," the official said.
Prominent Team Anna member Manish Sisodia said, "We have sought permission from MCD from December 27 and we have been granted permission to use the ground till January 5. "Team Anna sources said they have the permission from the MCD "subject to an NoC" from Delhi police.
"The dates have been blocked. The permission is subject to an NoC from police. We have a written commitment from the MCD in this regard," the sources said.
If the proposed protest takes place, it will be the third major stir in the national capital this year. The first one was at Jantar Mantar in April when Team Anna forced the government to set up a joint committee for drafting the bill. Hazare himself had earlier announced that he will relaunch the agitation on December 22 at the end of the Winter session of Parliament if a strong Lokpal Bill is not passed. Team Anna has been insisting that the lower bureaucracy, higher judiciary, provisions for Citizen Charter and setting up of Lokayuktas in state level be included in the ambit of Lokpal Bill. During the Monsoon session in August, Hazare sat on fast-unto-death at Ramlila Maidan for 13 days after a high-voltage 'who will blink first?' drama.
