Anna Hazare’s plan to launch a country-wide campaign against corruption from the end of this month from the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna has hit problems after he was denied a rally permission from the district administration.

“We had approached the district administration way back in October with a formal request to allot the Gandhi Maidan for Anna’s rally on January 30 but we have not been given the permission so far,” pointed out Ratnesh Choudhary, state coordinator of the India Against Corruption.

It is worthwhile mentioning that socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan launched his agitation against the Indira Gandhi government in 1974 from the same venue.

Choudhary said in media that the district administration officials have rejected the request due to the Republic Day ceremony.

“The administration has told us that the upcoming Republic Day ceremony will be organised at Gandhi Maidan and it will not be possible to remove all the barricades used at the ground for the occasion by January 30,” he said.

He went on to say that had the Nitish Kumar government been serious about fighting corruption, it would have readily allotted the venue in deference to Anna’s wishes.