Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal, on Friday announced that he will end his indefinite fast against 'inflated power bills on Saturday. But his wish to break his fast by accepting a glass of juice from former mentor and anti-graft crusador Anna Hazare, remained unfulfilled, as Hazare expressed his inability to visit the fast venue in east Delhi's Sundar Nagari, citing a busy schedule as an excuse. Kejriwal has been fasting for the past 14 days. Hazare is presently in Haryana, mobilising support for his own movement. Sources said that Kejriwal’s aides, Manish Sisodia and Kumar Vishwas, had gone to meet Hazare in Haryana, to request him to come and offer Kejriwal a glass of juice to mark an end to his fast, but Hazare did not oblige. Hazare, though, had written a letter to Kejriwal urging him to end his fast. 'I wanted to break my fast by accepting a glass of juice from Anna Hazare, but he cannot be here on Saturday because of his tour. Though he would not be present here, I have his blessings,' Kejriwal said.
Hazare had attended Kejriwal's fast for a few minutes late on 29 March. Kejriwal and Hazare had parted ways over the issue of Kejriwal joining politics, though Kejriwal had been a part of Hazare's movement to bring in the Jan Lokpal Bill. Kejriwal was the most prominent member of the erstwhile and now disbanded Team Anna.
Meanwhile, announcing the decision to break his fast, Kejriwal said that his fast had served its purpose. 'For the first time such a huge door-to-door referendum has been undertaken in independent India, where more than 10.52 lakh people have registered their protest on a single issue. People in Delhi have expressed their agony on the rising prices of bijli (electricity) and pani (water) in the capital and signed protest letters for Shiela Diskhit, saying that they would not pay their inflated bills,' he said.
Kejriwal also said that he is breaking his fast but the movement will continue. 'On Saturday evening the activists will assemble here and I will break my fast. I will only be breaking my fast but the movement, the protest will go on,' he said.
AAP said that as part of the launch of the second phase, AAP activists will visit every ward and reconnect power and water connections disconnected by authorities for non-payment of bills.
Hazare had attended Kejriwal's fast for a few minutes late on 29 March. Kejriwal and Hazare had parted ways over the issue of Kejriwal joining politics, though Kejriwal had been a part of Hazare's movement to bring in the Jan Lokpal Bill. Kejriwal was the most prominent member of the erstwhile and now disbanded Team Anna.
Meanwhile, announcing the decision to break his fast, Kejriwal said that his fast had served its purpose. 'For the first time such a huge door-to-door referendum has been undertaken in independent India, where more than 10.52 lakh people have registered their protest on a single issue. People in Delhi have expressed their agony on the rising prices of bijli (electricity) and pani (water) in the capital and signed protest letters for Shiela Diskhit, saying that they would not pay their inflated bills,' he said.
Kejriwal also said that he is breaking his fast but the movement will continue. 'On Saturday evening the activists will assemble here and I will break my fast. I will only be breaking my fast but the movement, the protest will go on,' he said.
AAP said that as part of the launch of the second phase, AAP activists will visit every ward and reconnect power and water connections disconnected by authorities for non-payment of bills.