Veteran social activist Anna Hazare has announced he will begin an indefinite hunger strike on January 30 in his native village of Ralegan Siddhi, Maharashtra. This "final agitation," as the 88-year-old activist calls it, is a protest against the Maharashtra government's failure to implement the Lokayukta Act, which Hazare says is essential for public welfare.
Hazare has expressed disappointment with the government's inaction and claims he sent seven letters to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking clarity and demanding immediate enforcement of the Act, but received no response. He stated, "This law is very important for the welfare of the people. I wrote seven letters, yet no response came. I don't understand why the government is not implementing it. A government is meant for public welfare, not for mere display".
The activist's ultimatum stems from a previous hunger strike in 2022 in Ralegan Siddhi, which demanded the Lokayukta law. The protest was withdrawn after mediation by then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and a Union Minister, which led to the drafting of the Lokayukta Act by a dedicated committee. The legislation was passed by both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council of Maharashtra and sent to the President of India for final assent. However, Hazare points out that the Act has not been enacted, leading to the renewed protest.
The Maharashtra government passed the Lokayukta Bill in the Legislative Assembly on December 28, 2022, and in the Legislative Council on December 15, 2023. President Droupadi Murmu approved the bill but suggested three key amendments, which were conveyed to Chief Minister Fadnavis. The amendments include revisions related to the selection of the Lokayukta and updates linked to renaming the Indian Penal Code. The amendments also align the law with the new criminal codes introduced by the Centre -- the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam -- replacing older IPC, CrPC, and Evidence Act references.
Once implemented, the revised Act will bring the Chief Minister under its ambit. The bill says that an inquiry against a current/former Chief Minister must be approved by a motion passed by two-thirds of members in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Fadnavis clarified that authorities established purely under Central laws will not automatically fall within the jurisdiction of the State Lokayukta. However, officers serving in such bodies appointed by the state government will come under the Lokayukta's purview. Similarly, even if an institution is created by the Central government, officials appointed to it by the State will be subject to the Lokayukta Act.
The Lokayukta and Lokpal Act of 2013 requires states to establish Lokayukta institutions through state legislation within 365 days of the Act coming into effect. Maharashtra was the first state to establish the institution with the Lokayukta and Upa-Lokayuktas Act of 1971.
Congress leader Nana Patole criticized the Maharashtra government, alleging that the state is being run from the Prime Minister's Office. Patole stated, "The Chief Minister of Maharashtra is trying to run the state as Gujarat was run at a certain point in time. Efforts are being made to introduce one-sided laws to govern from the PMO".
Hazare previously led a nationwide movement for the Lokayukta Act in 2011, rallying people across the country under the banner of a corruption-free India.
