Hazare leaves for Delhi

Anna Hazare on Thursday left his village Ralegan Siddhi for New Delhi where he is expected to end his vow of silence and attend the meeting of the Standing Committee on the issue of Lokpal Bill on Friday.

Anna Hazare on Thursday left his village Ralegan Siddhi for New Delhi where he is expected to end his vow of silence and attend the meeting of the Standing Committee on the issue of Lokpal Bill on Friday.

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"Hazare left the village around 3 PM, after meeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar and RPI leader Ramdas Athawale," Hazare's associate Datta Awari told PTI over phone from Ralegan Siddhi.

"Anna will board the evening flight to Delhi from Pune today," Awari said.

The 74-year-old anti-graft crusader is on a 'Maun Vrat' from October 16.

This will be Team Anna's second appearance before the Committee and the first after Hazare undertook a 13-day fast in August demanding that the Jan Lokpal Bill be passed in the Monsoon session of Parliament.

Soon after the Lokpal Bill was referred to the Committee, Hazare and his associates had deposed before the panel saying it should ask the government to withdraw the Lokpal Bill in its present form as it would "encourage corruption".