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Mumbai: The octogenarian anti-graft crusader and social activist, Anna Hazare has suspended his proposed hunger strike from Monday against the Maharashtra government’s policy decision to permit the sale of wine in supermarkets and grocery stores.
Anna Hazare explained his decision by arguing that the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had assured him to take into consideration the views of the people before going ahead in implementing its policy.
A Gram Sabha was held on Sunday in Anna Hazare’s native village Ralegan-Siddhi in Ahmednagar district.
The 84-year-old social activist remarked, “I told the villagers that as the State government had decided to put up the cabinet’s decision before citizens for their suggestions and that a final decision would only be taken after their approval on this matter. Hence, I have decided to suspend the hunger strike.” He further added that given the plethora of beer bars, permit rooms and shops to sell wine, the government has no need to sell wine in the supermarket.
Recently, Anna Hazare had dashed off a missive to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, demanding an immediate roll back on the policy permitting sale of wine at supermarkets and walk-in shops.
An angry Anna Hazare quipped, “Is this government intent on spreading addiction? During a discussion with government officials, I had told them I don’t feel like living in the State… I also told them that they should have taken people’s views into consideration before deciding on the wine policy, following which the government started re-thinking its decision.”
He further stated that the decision (on permitting supermarkets to sell wine) should be taken only after inviting suggestions and objections from citizens, and that people ought to be given three months’ time to put forth their views.
The indefinite hunger strike of the anti-graft crusader was considered the set-piece of the 2011 anti-corruption agitation, the impact of Anna Hazare’s fasts and agitations in recent years has considerably been toned down.
The anti-corruption crusader had locked horns with the Central government over several issues in the past few years, threatening indefinite agitations and fasts. In 2015, Anna Hazare had to cancel his proposed foot-march from Wardha to New Delhi in protest against the controversial ‘anti-farmer’ clauses in the Land ordinance bill.
In 2019, Anna Hazare had launched a hunger strike in his hometown Ralegan Siddhi over appointment of a Lokpal and a number of agrarian issues including an increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers.
