Anna Hazare leaves for home in Ralegan Siddhi

Veteran social activist Anna Hazare left here this morning for his home in Ralegan Siddhi, a village near Pune, after calling off his fast to press for a strong Lokpal Bill yesterday evening.

After initially refusing to bow to appeals from doctors and his associates, the 74-year-old Gandhian broke his three-day fast midway last evening. He had started the protest on Tuesday morning despite the fact that he was running a fever.

Doctors had warned him of kidney failure if he continued with his hunger strike.

His aide Arvind Kejriwal said Team Anna was not retreating and would "review its strategy soon".

Hazare will undergo medical treatment and recuperate before deciding on the future course of action to oppose the government's Lokpal Bill, to set up an anti-corruption ombudsman, passed in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Team Anna is expected to meet in Ralegan Siddhi in the next few days, after Hazare recovers from viral fever. The future strategy will be discussed and revealed after this meeting, India Against Corruption (IAC) sources said.

NNN