Speaking to Arab News prior to leaving for New Delhi, Hazare said that he was anticipating police action by the government against his hunger strike scheduled for Aug. 16. The Gandhian leader said that he would move the Supreme Court in two days to prevent any situation similar to the police crackdown on they Yoga guru Ramdev and his supporters at the Ram Lila grounds in New Delhi two months ago.

“I am not Baba Ramdev. Millions of people and the civil society demanding implementation of the Lokpal Bill are behind me. We know the federal government will try to suppress my agitation also. But they should know that these threats do not work. It would not be as easy as the government thinks to suppress my agitation. The government should explain to the people whether such threats are part of democracy or autocracy? The government cannot suppress our movement and that’s why we will move the Supreme Court on if not on Monday then on Tuesday for sure,” Hazare said.

Asked as to why he was moving the Supreme Court, Hazare said that he was doing so to seek the court’s protection for his hunger strike on Aug. 16.

“I and my team of civil society people would bring to the notice of the court through a petition the ‘unconstitutional’ statements being made by Congress ministers and other leaders to threatening a democratic movement. I have already informed the government about the planned indefinite hunger strike if the government fails to bring a strong Lokpal bill in the monsoon session of Parliament.

Hazare came down heavily on Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh for his recent statement that Hazare would be given the same treatment as Baba Ramdev, while other Congress leaders also issued similar statements. “This is people’s movement, not an individual’s  campaign and it would never be easy to crush a democratic movement,” Hazare said.