Congress: Modi’s fast was a joke

Senior Congress leader Shankar Singh Vaghela, who had gone on a parallel fast to counter the one by Gujarat CM, said on Tuesday that ‘Sadbhavana’ is not a mission and that Narendra Modi’s fast was a joke.

Vaghela, a former RSS prachark like Modi, said, “Fast, if not used for the right cause backfires. Their fast has turned out to be a joke. How can Sadbhavana be a mission? It has to be the way of life of an individual”

“My fast is the real fast, it is not a festival. Why is AC needed for fasting?” Vaghela said, adding, “Why didn’t he (Modi) not hold on to the promise of fasting for 72 hours, why didn’t they stick to it?”

Vaghela, state party president Arjun Modhvadia and other senior party leaders have fasted for three days.

The Congress had dubbed Modi's fast as "five star" as it being held in an air-conditioned hall. Vaghela and Modhvadia are sitting on a footpath in front of Sabarmati Ashram, the Opposition leaders pointed out.

On Modi’s plan to hold sadbhavana fast in all 26 districts of the state, Vaghela said, “People were brought in (for Modi’s fast); they were given food and then beaten up.”

Alleging that crores of public money has been wasted by the state government to make Chief Minister’s fast a success, Vaghela said that the Congress will demand a white paper on the expenditure incurred.

“Why does Modi fear the Lokayukta?”Vaghela added while attacking the CM.

Congress: now calling Anna a hero

It is Day 5 social activist Anna Hazare's protest fast on Saturday and the 74-year-old was seen up and about early. there were fewer crowds at the Ramlila Maidan on Saturday morning but Anna's supporters reiterated they will keep the momentum going.

Fans braved the rains through the night and joined Anna on Saturday morning cutting across class, age and gender barriers. People were seen singing qawallis and also patriotic songs, keeping spirits high while at Anna's village Ralegan Siddhi villagers formed a human chain in support of his campaign.

Anna Hazare warned the government on Saturday that he will not leave the Ramlila maidan till the Jan Lokpal Bill is passed. Meanwhile, widely criticised over its handling of the Anna Hazare issue, pressure mounts on the UPA government to find a way out. The Centre considers debating a private member's Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament.

The Congress, now calling Anna a hero, has admitted that arresting him was a mistake. They want talks to resume. That's even as nine Opposition parties plan to protest on August 23, demanding a stronger lokpal bill.

After the initial ferocious attack on team Anna, Congress seems to be doing a u-turn now. Its gone soft on Anna, admitting that arresting him was a mistake and that talks should resume.

"It was a mistake to arrest Anna," said Sandeep Dikshit.

A first confession coming in from Congress that it messed up its Anna strategy and in a clear indication that the Congress thinks that if you cannot beat them, you might as well join them, so the warming up to Anna has begun.

This even as sources say backroom negotiations are being planned and some Maharashtra NGOs are to be used as channels.

But the pressure is not just from Anna. Opposition parties like Left, AIADMK are to protest on August 23 demanding a stronger Bill.

Rajeev Chadrashekhar and Varun Gandhi have already listed the Jan Lokpal Bill as a Private Members' Bill.

For now of course the government is waiting and watching hoping that Anna's srength will give way, the crowds will thin and the wave will end.