Anna Hazare suspends October 2 hunger strike in New Delhi

Social activist Anna Hazare on Saturday said he has decided to suspend his agitation scheduled on October 2 in New Delhi as the Central government allowed the Land Ordinance to lapse and implemented the One Rank One Pension OROP) for ex-servicemen.

"I had decided to launch a hunger strike at Ram Lila Maidan in New Delhi on October 2, on birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri to press for the demands pertaining to Land Acquisition Bill and One Rank One Pension scheme," Hazare told reporters at his native Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district.

The septuagenarian said he had travelled to various places across the country and held public meetings and rallies to build public awareness on the contentious issues.

Hazare said he received an overwhelming response from the people. Several organisations of jawans and farmers had also launched agitation in large scale, which compelled the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government to withdraw the ordinance and to accept the demands to implement the OROP.

The Land acquisition ordinance was unjust to farmers and several farmers'organisations in the country had come out on the streets and launched agitation to protest against the proposed amendments in the Land acquisition bill, he added.

Besides, ex-servicemen too had began an agitation for OROP. Hazare also demanded the appointment of Lokpal and Lokayutas and said he would launch a fresh agitation if the government did not implement the same.