Demanding immediate setting up of Lokpal, social activist Anna Hazare (born as Kisan Baburao Hazare) commenced a fast-unto-death protest at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan yesterday, the same place where he held an anti-corruption protest for many days in 2011 to get the entire country’s attention diverted towards rooting out and eradicating corruption at all levels.

While the 2011 protest was against the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre, Hazare’s latest protest is targeted at the Narendra Modi-led BJP Govt. at the Centre for its failure to set up Lokpal, an anti-corruption ombudsman, to investigate cases of corruption against those holding positions of power and dispose off the cases within a reasonable period of time.

Hazare has also been demanding the setting of Lokayukta sin all the States.  Significance of Lokayukta is that it can’t be dismissed or transferred by any Govt. but can only be removed by an impeachment motion passed in the respective State Assemblies.

He has also demanded implementation of the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission to ensure fair pay for farmers.  The Commission submitted five reports to the erstwhile Govt. at the Centre from December, 2004 to October, 2006, with its final report clearly focusing on causes farmers’ distresses and the rise in their suicides.