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No talks if fasting protesters forcefully removed: Anna

By The Assam Tribune

New Delhi, Aug 1 (IANS): Anna Hazare today warned the government that there would be no talks if fasting members of his team were forcefully removed from Jantar Mantar while the Delhi Police asked the agitating members to heed the medical advice given by the doctors attending on them.

While Hazare's fast against corruption entered the fourth day, Team Anna members, including Arvind Kejriwal, have been off food since a week in support of the cause. Doctors said though they are weak, their condition is stable.

The condition of Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia caused concern Tuesday when doctors advised that they be hospitalized as their conditioned had deteriorated.

"I am weak but the government is saying that they will put me in a hospital as I am trying to commit suicide. But if they do that you people should take me out of hospital," Kejriwal told his supporters.

Hazare said that Kejriwal was fighting for the country which is not going down well with the government and it may conspire to hospitalize the activists forcefully.

"If the government forcefully removes them, I will not talk to anybody in the government. Till we have the strength, we will carry on with the protest," said Hazare.

Besides, Kejriwal, two other Team Anna members, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai, are also on fast for a stringent anti-graft Jan Lokpal bill.

The three began their hunger strike a week ago. Along with the four Team Anna members, around 450 people are also on fast, said a member of India Against Corruption (IAC).

Kejriwal, a diabetic, told supporters at the fast venue Jantar Mantar in central Delhi that the health updates from the state-run Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital would be stopped as he had no faith in the hospital.

However, a senior doctor at the venue said Wednesday that the condition of the four people was stable and there was "no need to panic".

"All their parameters are normal, they are stable," said Sanjeeb Chibber, who described himself as a senior cancer surgeon and is part of the protest against corruption.

He said Kejriwal and the others were only drinking water during the fast.

According to Chibber, fasting with water "is safe till three weeks and people with stamina can last till six months".

He revealed that the blood pressure and sugar levels of the four people was fine.

Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh too indicated that the government could force-feed members of Team Anna if they continue their indefinite fast.

"The government cannot allow people to die. Therefore, the government has to look into it," Singh told NDTV here.

Pushing for dialogue, Singh, however, said talks cannot be held at "gun point" and called upon Anna Hazare and his associates to give up their fast.

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