Anna Hazare's fast demanding a powerful Lok Pal entered the fifth day today with his team saying these were ready to talk to the government but no such communication channels happen to be opened.
Hazare came to the podium at around 10 am as supporters began pouring in Ramlila Maidan where he launched his protest yesterday after appearing out of Tihar Jail.
The 73-year-old anti-corruption crusader alleged the funds in government treasuries were being threatened not by thieves but from those guard it and also the country is being threatened by these traitors.
"Why should we fight? The actual funds in government treasuries are ours. The treasuries are not threatened by thieves but by people who guards it. The country is not betrayed by enemies but by these types of traitors, " the Gandhian said.
He said he has lost three-and-half kg within the last four days. "I feel a little weak. But there is nothing to be worried about it. The fight will go on till we get a strong Lok Friend, " Hazare said in his brief address to the gathering.
His close associate Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia said the Team was prepared to talk to the government on the issue of Lok Pal Bill but nobody has approached them.
"We are ready to talk to the government but there isn't any communication from their side. Where should we go to talk and whom should we speak with? " Kejriwal and Sisodia said.
Hazare had yesterday raised the political stakes giving a deadline to the government to pass the Jan Lok Pal Bill by August 30 failing which he'd continue his fast "till my last breath".
On the deadline, former law minister Shanti Bhushan said the federal government can pass it within days if it has a "strong will" to complete it.
"It can happen. I have been a Union Law Minister and I understand how things happen in government, " he told the gathering.
Asked if the deadline was a little impractical, Kejriwal told reporters, "If the government wishes, it can pass 15 bills in five minutes. But for the anti-corruption expenses, they are taking more than 42 years. So we want to understand how many more years will they take? "
The government version encourages problem and saves the corrupt, Kejriwal alleged and demanded that the Lokpal Bill introduced in Parliament be "rejected completely" and also the Jan Lokpal Bill be replaced by it.
Reacting to the newspaper ads seeking suggestions from public on Lok Pal Bill, Kejriwal said it seemed to be an exercise which will waste the time of people and Parliamentarians.
"We appeared prior to the Standing Committee earlier and told them that the present bill is really for promotion of corruption and save the corrupt people. It ends up in targeting people who complain against corruption, " he said.
Kejriwal said they had urged the Standing Committee to reject the bill and send it to Parliament. "It is wasting precious time on a wrong and faulty expenses, " he said.
"This seeking of feedback is basically to divert interest, " he said.
Asked about some MPs, including BJP's Varun Gandhi, likely to introducing Jan Lok Pal Bill as private bills, he said private bills don't achieve much.
Earlier in the morning, police conducted extensive searches in the Maidan to ensure no suspicious objects were planted there.
Hazare came to the podium at around 10 am as supporters began pouring in Ramlila Maidan where he launched his protest yesterday after appearing out of Tihar Jail.
The 73-year-old anti-corruption crusader alleged the funds in government treasuries were being threatened not by thieves but from those guard it and also the country is being threatened by these traitors.
"Why should we fight? The actual funds in government treasuries are ours. The treasuries are not threatened by thieves but by people who guards it. The country is not betrayed by enemies but by these types of traitors, " the Gandhian said.
He said he has lost three-and-half kg within the last four days. "I feel a little weak. But there is nothing to be worried about it. The fight will go on till we get a strong Lok Friend, " Hazare said in his brief address to the gathering.
His close associate Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia said the Team was prepared to talk to the government on the issue of Lok Pal Bill but nobody has approached them.
"We are ready to talk to the government but there isn't any communication from their side. Where should we go to talk and whom should we speak with? " Kejriwal and Sisodia said.
Hazare had yesterday raised the political stakes giving a deadline to the government to pass the Jan Lok Pal Bill by August 30 failing which he'd continue his fast "till my last breath".
On the deadline, former law minister Shanti Bhushan said the federal government can pass it within days if it has a "strong will" to complete it.
"It can happen. I have been a Union Law Minister and I understand how things happen in government, " he told the gathering.
Asked if the deadline was a little impractical, Kejriwal told reporters, "If the government wishes, it can pass 15 bills in five minutes. But for the anti-corruption expenses, they are taking more than 42 years. So we want to understand how many more years will they take? "
The government version encourages problem and saves the corrupt, Kejriwal alleged and demanded that the Lokpal Bill introduced in Parliament be "rejected completely" and also the Jan Lokpal Bill be replaced by it.
Reacting to the newspaper ads seeking suggestions from public on Lok Pal Bill, Kejriwal said it seemed to be an exercise which will waste the time of people and Parliamentarians.
"We appeared prior to the Standing Committee earlier and told them that the present bill is really for promotion of corruption and save the corrupt people. It ends up in targeting people who complain against corruption, " he said.
Kejriwal said they had urged the Standing Committee to reject the bill and send it to Parliament. "It is wasting precious time on a wrong and faulty expenses, " he said.
"This seeking of feedback is basically to divert interest, " he said.
Asked about some MPs, including BJP's Varun Gandhi, likely to introducing Jan Lok Pal Bill as private bills, he said private bills don't achieve much.
Earlier in the morning, police conducted extensive searches in the Maidan to ensure no suspicious objects were planted there.
