Anna Hazare hails news of former Supreme Court judge Pinaki Chandra Ghose being tipped for Lokpal

Social activist Anna Hazare on Sunday welcomed the news that former Supreme Court judge Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose was being considered for appointment as the chief of country's first Lokpal, the anti-corruption ombudsman.

Justice Ghose, who retired from the Supreme Court in May 2017, is a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Speaking to reporters, Hazare said, "I welcome the decision of appointing the country's first Lokpal. The people's movement for it, going on for 48 years now, has finally won."

Hazare has led several agitations and hunger protests demanding the appointment of Lokpal at the national level and Lokayukta in states.

This year, in the month of February Anna Hazare warned that he would undertake "maun-vrat" (vow of silence) if the Union agriculture ministry did not convey him, in writing, the points agreed upon during the government's talks with him.

Mr Hazare had sat on a fast for demands including the appointment of Lokpal and implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's report for farmers on January 30. He ended the agitation on February 5 after getting assurances from the Union and Maharashtra governments that his demands would be fulfilled.

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"I have not received any communication (about his demands regarding farmers) from the Union agriculture ministry about the discussions we had here in Ralegan Siddhi (his village)," Mr Hazare told reporters. 

"I am a bit frail now, but I can still undertake a vow of silence if the Union government did not convey me the points which we had discussed and agreed on through a letter," said the 81-year-old activist.

"I was expecting some communication from the Union agriculture ministry (following the talks). I broke my fast on Tuesday but till today evening, I have not received any communication. I am now suspicious of their motives," he said.

Talking about his 2011 agitation for anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal, Mr Hazare took potshots at his former associates Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Puducherry governor Kiran Bedi.

He had sat on a hunger strike in February-March in his native Ralegansidhi in Ahmednagar district over the non-appointment of Lokpal.

The Lokpal Act, which envisages the establishment of anti-graft body Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states to look into cases of corruption against certain categories of public servants, was passed in 2013.

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