Villagers stage road roko to support Anna Hazare's fast

As activist Anna Hazare's indefinite fast entered the fourth day on Saturday, villagers from Ralegan Siddhi staged a rasta roko agitation on the Pune-Ahmednagar highway. The villagers observed Parner Taluka Bandh to support Hazare's agitation.

Villagers claimed they received a letter from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) cold shouldering the Gandhian.

The "terse" response from the PMO spurred protests, said Hazare's spokesperson Shyam Asawa

He said the villagers were angry due to the "cold response" given by the prime minister to the letter sent last month by the 81-year-old anti-graft crusader.

Hazare launched an indefinite fast demanding the appointment of Lokpal and Lokayuktas at the Centre and in Maharashtra respectively. He started his indefinite fast from January 30, which is Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary.

Hazare, whose health deteriorated on Saturday, said that if at all anything happens to him, the Government should be held responsible. Hazare criticised the Maharashtra state government as well as the Union Government for not appointing Lokpal and Lokayuktas, despite passing the Lokpal Bill in 2013.

Suresh Pathare, Hazare's close associate said that the rasta roko would be staged in other parts of the state too.

—with inputs from agencies