Veteran social activist Anna Hazare has announced that he will launch a hunger strike on January 30 in his native village, Ralegan Siddhi, protesting the Maharashtra government’s failure to implement the long-pending Lokayukta Act. Hazare said the legislation is vital for public welfare but accused the state of repeatedly ignoring its own commitments. The 88-year-old activist remarked that this could be the final protest of his life.
Hazare previously undertook a hunger strike in 2022 demanding the same law’s implementation, calling it off only after assurances from the then Chief Minister. A committee later drafted the Lokayukta Bill, which was passed by both houses of the Maharashtra legislature and forwarded for the Governor’s approval.
Despite these steps, Hazare said the Act remains unapplied at the ground level. He noted that he had written seven letters to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis without receiving any response, prompting his decision to resume protest action. Hazare criticised the government for failing to operationalise the Lokayukta Act even years after its passage.