Mumbai, (The Hindu): Attacking the Union government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their pro-corporate and anti-people governance, social activist Anna Hazare declared that he would launch fresh agitations at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi from March 23 this year.

He was addressing a farmers’ conference, organised by Hyderabad Karnataka Raitha Sangha, here on Sunday.

“The government is concerned more about big industrialists than farmers. It showed more interest in waiving corporate loans and not in farm loans. Narendra Modi had promised to bring back black money stashed offshore and deposit 15 lakh in the accounts of each citizen. Not even 15 has been deposited. I had kept quiet for the last three-and-a-half years thinking that the new government needed time to act upon its poll promises. I will launch a fresh agitation against the Union government from March 23 in Ramlila Maidan in Delhi,” he declared.

Recalling the public response to his previous anti-corruption and right to information agitations, which forced the government to enact pro-people laws, the Gandhian said that the next agitation would focus on farmers’ issues.

He said that 12 lakh farmers had ended their lives in the last 22 years.

“Everybody in power has behaved as if nothing happened despite the farmers’ suicides. Everybody is keen on safeguarding the interests of powerful industrialists and not the farmers. Mr. Modi had promised that he would implement the M.S. Swaminathan Report and it has still not been done,” he said.

Mr. Hazare added that the agitation would also demand a decent pension to farmers of 60 years or above age.