Anna Hazare ends fast, cancels jail bharo campaign

Smarting under poor response and bad health, Anna Hazare today called off his fast a day ahead of schedule and repeated his threat to campaign against Congress in the five poll-bound states for not brining a strong Lokpal. At MMRDA Grounds this evening, he said,   "It won't be proper to have jail bharo agitation now...instead, we will go for voters' awareness programme in five states." His closest aide, Arvind Kejriwal, said the jail bharo or civil unrest movement will be launched "later at an appropriate time."  For now, the activists' agitation against the government pauses. They will strategize about their plans to take on the Congress now via elections.  Last night, doctors said Anna was seriously unwell. His blood pressure was rising, and he was feverish. This morning, they warned that if he persists with his fast, he faces the risk of a kidney failure.  Members of his core group say the activist may have to be hospitalized.
Looking weak, Anna said this evening that for the upcoming state elections, he said he will campaign against all those "traitors" who did not support the Lokpal Bill. "The Congress has cheated us more than any other party, including the BJP," he said.  Anna began his fourth fast this year to protest against the government's version of the Lokpal Bill that was cleared with amendments last night by the Lok Sabha.  To become a law, it must now be passed by the Rajya SAbha. The Lokpal is a new national anti-corruption agency with nine members that will investigate politicians and bureaucrats for corruption.  Anna says the Lokpal Bill creates an ombudsman with no power and limited authority, especially because it has not been given an investigating agency to tackle complaints of graft. Mr Kejriwal, said that as the ruling party, the Congress must accept the responsibility for a weak Lokpal, and the party will be singled out in Team Anna's campaign for the elections.