Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Monday his government will take the “strictest possible action” to counter widespread corruption in the country.

In a speech in New Delhi marking the 64th anniversary of India's independence from Britain, Mr. Singh said there is “no magic wand” to solve the issue. He said the government was fighting graft on many levels and appealed to all political parties to join in the fight.

Several high-profile corruption scandals have made headlines in India over the last year. They include the sale of telecommunications licenses at below market value, numerous financial irregularities in India's hosting of last year's Commonwealth Games, and land and real estate projects.

Mr. Singh's ruling Congress party has introduced a new anti-corruption bill in parliament that would create a civil organization, or lokpal, with the powers to investigate ministers and bureaucrats.

But Anna Hazare, a prominent social activist who has pushed for a lokpal, has dismissed the bill as a weak and watered down version of his demands. He has vowed to resume a “fast unto death” Tuesday to protest the legislation, which he says does not allow the lokpal to expose and prosecute the prime minister or the judiciary. A similar hunger strike in April fueled a media frenzy and a wave of popular demonstrations across India.

Prime Minister Singh has appealed to Hazare to abandon his plans, saying only parliament can decide what kind of anti-corruption bill India will have. He said those who have differences with the proposed law should not resort to protests and hunger strikes, but instead make their views known through parliament, political parties and even the media.

Mr. Singh noted that India has become an economic success despite the global financial slowdown. Still, he said, the problem of corruption is a big obstacle to the country's transformation into a major economic power.

The prime minister also said in his independence day speech that the government will continue to fight India's high inflation, including taking steps to combat rising prices of food and fuel.