Team Anna denied permission to hold indefinite fast

The Delhi Police have refused to grant Team Anna permission to hold an indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar from July 25.

The Delhi Police have refused to grant Team Anna permission to hold an indefinite fast at Jantar Mantar from July 25.

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The reason: They will not be able provide security as the monsoon session of Parliament will coincide with the protest.

India Against Corruption (IAC) had asked for permission to hold a hunger strike from July 25 to August 8.
In a two-page reply to Team Anna, police have also said that a large number of organisations hold protests at Jantar Mantar throughout the year and they too need to be accommodated.

“This place has a limited capacity to hold people, and keeping in mind equitable distribution of space to everyone, each organisation will be permitted to bring only a very limited number of supporters. A gathering larger than the capacity is vulnerable to a stampede and other security related issues,” the police wrote.

The letter noted that special security arrangements would be required, which would put undue strain on the limited capacity of the Jantar Mantar venue, as it was also a road open to traffic and could be blocked for a long duration, the police said.

Team Anna has decided to meet on Friday to decide its future strategy. “Many organisations are sitting on an indefinite strike at Jantar Mantar but the police have denied us permission. This is not fair ,” said Neeraj Kumar, a member of IAC.