“I will be returning my Padma Bhushan award to the President. I did not work for that award; you only gave me that while I was working for social cause & the country. If the country or society is in this condition, then why should I keep that?” Hazare said.
This comes after Bharatiya Janata Party ally Shiv Sena came out in Hazare's support, urging him to follow socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan’s footsteps and lead an agitation against corruption.
Hazare has been on a hunger strike since last Wednesday at his native village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district. He has been demanding appointments of Lokpal and Lokayuktas and resolution of farmers' issue.
Hazare's demands include immediate appointment of anti-corruption ombudsmen Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in states, implementation of Swaminathan Commission's recommendations for tackling agrarian distress and electoral reforms.
Anna Hazare, 81 was awarded the third-highest civilian honour of the country in 1992.