Gandhian on special diet to prepare for hunger strike

There seems to be no looking back for anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare, who is on a strict diet preparing for his hunger strike on December 26.u00a0Sources from Ralegansiddhi have confirmed that Hazare has reduced the usual amount of food intake to almost half.u00a0

The 74-year-old Gandhian has condemned the draft of the Lokpal Bill calling it 'useless and unproductive'. Dada Pathare, president of Hind Swaraj Trust, who sends food to Hazare every afternoon to Ralegansiddhi, said, "Fasting is not new for Hazare. Usually, Anna reduces his normal intake of food to half before going on a hunger strike. Hazare is a vegetarian who believes in eating right for a healthy mind."

Sanjay Pathade, close aide of Anna, said, "Hazare now eats only in the afternoon. He takes a cup of milk in the morning and same amount of fruit juice in the evening." Ganesh Jadhav, a photographer and a close associate of Anna, said that Hazare prefers to eat alone in his room at Yadavbaba Temple complex in Ralegansiddhi.

For the first time, members of Team Anna will also observe a three-day fast with Hazare at the MMRDA grounds on Friday.u00a0Arvind Kejriwal had already pledged his support on Tuesday.u00a0Now, other members from Anna's core committee, Prashant Bhushan, Krian Bedi and Manish Sisodia have also decided to fast along side the septuagenarian.