Police advise Team Anna to hospitalise Kejriwal, 2 others

The Delhi police on Wednesday advised Team Anna to immediately hospitalise Arvind Kejriwal and two other fasting activists and warned that the organisers will be "squarely responsible" if anything untoward happens to them.

In a letter to Team Anna member Neeraj Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) K C Dwivedi said doctors have advised that Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai need immediate medical intervention and be shifted to a hospital.

The fast of the three activists entered eighth day today and their health has worsened with doctors advising their hospitalisation.

However, Anna Hazare and Kejriwal saw a conspiracy to take the activists to hospital to end the stir for a strong Lokpal and warned that they would not negotiate with the government if the activists are forcibly removed.

Kejriwal also said that it is the responsibility of the supporters to ensure that he should be out of hospital in case of forcible eviction.

The letter to Team Anna came following the tough stand taken by activists.

Dwivedi said their continued fasting, resistance to accepting medical intervention and announcing from the dais at Jantar Mantar that there would be dire consequences following their forcible removal is not as per the terms and conditions that were mutually agreed upon and may lead to adverse law and order situation.

"You are advised to follow the doctors' recommendation and take steps for immediate hospitalisation of Arvind Kejriwal, Gopal Rai and Manish Sisodia to prevent harm to their lives and well-being failing which you would be squarely responsible for any untoward incident," the letter said.

Dwivedi pointed out that Team Anna has given an undertaking on July seven that they will abide by all lawful directions by any police officer at any stage of the agitation.

"Being the organiser of this agitation, it would be your responsibility to ensure the well-being of the persons sitting on fast," the letter to Kumar said.

Dwivedi also said that Dr Vivek Arya and Dr Kanika of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Dr Vipin Mittal and Dr Atul Gupta, attending to fasting actvists, have examined Hazare and three other activists.

"Today, Dr T S Sidhu, the Medical Superintendent of RML, forwarded the medical reports of Dr Arya for the past two days.

"This team of doctors has advised that Kejriwal, Rai and Sisodia need immediate medical intervention of a hospital and should, therefore, be shifted to one. Dr T S Sidhu has endorsed this view," the letter said.

After the letter was sent to Team Anna, activist Shazia Ilmi alleged that they have information that Kejriwal will be taken by force in the night. However, police denied the allegation.

Another Team Anna member Kumar Viswas said this is the conspiracy of the government and they do not believe in government-run hospitals.

"We believe in the doctors who are 24/7 with us in this agitation. The government said they would not talk to us. This government would talk to separatists, with Maoists and Pakistan which sends terrorists to us. But not with us.

"We appeal to Delhi Police that if they get an order from above, then think that this fight is not for stomach but for the country. The government does not have enough personnel and police to put all of us behind bars," he said.