Hazare also said there was a delay in undertaking a countrywide tour as he had recently undergone a cataract surgery.

"But now we have decided that the countrywide tour will begin in January, from the place where Jaiprakash Narayan launched his movement," he said.

"The battle for Jan Lokpal and corruption-free India will begin at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna in January," Hazare said in a statement.

Thousands of youth have expressed their desire to participate in the movement and with the help of a technology-enabled network, their number will reach crores, he

said.

A meeting of 10 technical experts was held in Ralegan Siddhi on October 14 to use technology for building a countrywide organisation, he said.

"The time for 'parivartan' (change) has come in this country," Hazare said.

The last 65 years have shown that change is not possible through political political power. Change cannot be brought about without people's power, he added.

The government is afraid of getting ousted through elections and is not scared of anything else, he said.

The battle for change will be a long-drawn one, he said.