'Protest will be financed using donations'

India Against Corruption member Manish Sisodia, who along with social activist Anna Hazare was arrested by the Delhi police on August 16, told rediff.com that the Ramlila Ground arrangements will be financed using donations collected by people who had gathered at the ground, and those who support the anti-corruption movement.

"We are going to pay for all these arrangements by collecting donations from the people," he said.

He emphasised that in about five minutes that the IAC volunteers did the rounds of the Ramlila Grounds asking for donations, they managed to collect upwards of Rs 13,000.

The same announcements were being made by the organisers from atop the dais at the ground. He also said that the question of whose Lokpal Bill is better was not the point.

"Let's do a referendum in this country about who should or should not come under the Lokpal, and you will find whose draft is better," he said referring to why they were opposed to the government's version of the Bill.

"Let's do a referendum in this country and you will know what the people of this country wants. Ask them if they don't want the prime minister, the patwaris, people from top to bottom under this law. Ninety nine per cent Indians are fed up with corruption," he added.

Who doesn't want to fight corruption. Everybody wants to do it, he said.

Image: Manish Sisodia

Photograph: Sanjay Sawant