This Article is From Aug 12, 2011

India snubs America over advice for Anna Hazare's rally

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New Delhi: India has made it clear that America's inputs on how to handle Anna Hazare's upcoming hunger strike are not needed or welcome.

In response to a question the official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, "We have seen the needless comments by the US State Department Spokesperson on handling of peaceful protests in India. Freedoms of speech and expression, as well as, of peaceful assembly, are enshrined in the Constitution of India and exercised by citizens of this country of 1.2 billion people."

Earlier today, US State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, told reporters during her daily news conference, "As you know, we support the right of peaceful, non-violent protest around the world.That said, India is a democracy, and we count on India to exercise appropriate democratic restraint in the way it deals with peaceful protest."

A 74-year-old Gandhian, Mr Hazare is scheduled to begin his hunger strike in Delhi on August 16. In recent months, Mr Hazare has emerged as the champion of a Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen's Ombudsman Bill) that demands that the Prime Minister, senior judges and all levels of bureaucrats be governed by a multi-member Lokpal that would have the right to investigate charges of corruption. Mr Hazare and four of his nominees were initially invited by the government to help draft the new Bill, along with five ministers. The elected and non-elected teams of representatives clashed bitterly, and ultimately produced two dramatically different versions of the Bill.

The government chose to introduce its version of the Bill in parliament. In this version, senior judges and the PM are exempt. Team Anna has accused the government of "betraying" the nation by delivering a bill incapable of really taking on politicians or public servants over corruption. Mr Hazare's hunger fast is aimed at mobilizing support among citizens for a stronger version of the Lokpal Bill.

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