Permission to fast at Ramlila Maidan is half battle won, says Patkar

New Delhi, Aug 18 (ANI): Noted social activist Medha Patkar on Thursday said the granting of permission to the civil society team headed by anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare to go with the protest at Ramlila Maidan is only half the battle won.

Patkar, who came to the spotlight following her Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) movement, further said that the main issue, which still remains is that an effective Lokpal Bill is formulated and implemented.

"The fast that was undertaken despite him (Anna Hazare) being in jail was till now aimed at getting a protest site for his proposed indefinite fast and now we have achieved that. So, it is in a way a victory, which is important for all protests," Patkar told mediapersons outside the Tihar Jail here.

"But the main issues still remains, which are the Lokpal (Ombudsman) Bill and also to remove corruption. For removing corruption a right and stringent law should be brought," she added.

Patkar further said that the civil society activists are determined to continue their fight against corruption.

"As of now, the site that they have given for the protest, on our demand, the Ramlila Maidan has been given. Though they are giving a time limit for the fast, still even after the time limit we will take things as they happen, but we are all adamant on it that we will fight and we will win," she said.

The standoff between Team Anna and the Delhi Police come to an end late on Wednesday night following hectic consultations between the two sides over the proposed fast site and the duration of the protest.

Delhi Police finally gave Team Anna the permission to fast for 15 days at Ramlila Maidan after marathon discussions between the civil society activists and Delhi Police Commissioner BK Gupta.

Initially, the police were insisting on allowing only five days' of protest, which was turned down by the activists who asked for permission for one month.

Police had earlier denied permission to Hazare to hold his indefinite fast at Jayaprakash Narayan Park near Ferozeshah Kotla Ground after the 74-year-old social activist refused to give an undertaking that he would restrict his anti-corruption protest to three days and the number of protesters to 5,000. (ANI)