Team Hazare detained by police, Anna fasts in detention

In an early morning crackdown, Anna Hazare and his close aides were detained by police after the Gandhian vowed to go ahead with his fast for a strong Lokpal and defy prohibitory orders at the venue of his agitation.

High drama was witnessed in Mayur Vihar area in east Delhi when police detained the 73-year-old Hazare at about 7:30 am from an apartment about three hours before he was to sit on his agitation. A large number of supporters opposed the action and shouted slogans supporting him.

Home Secretary R K Singh said Hazare was detained because he said he intended to defy prohibitory orders and sit on fast at J P Park in central Delhi. Delhi Police had denied permission for his fast after he refused to abide by all the 22 conditions set by them for the agitation.

Hazare’s close aides Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal were detained outside Rajghat. Lawyer Shanti Bhushan was also picked up.

“We will move the Supreme Court,” Prashant Bhushan, lawyer and close associate of Hazare, told PTI.

Describing his detention by police as the beginning of the “second freedom struggle”, Hazare asked people to participate in a “jail bharo” agitation.

“My dear countrymen, second freedom struggle has begun and now I have also been arrested. But will this movement be stopped by my arrest. No not at all. Don’t let it happen,” Hazare said in a pre-recorded message.

Police had made elaborate arrangements and stationed several buses and trucks in Mayur Vihar, Rajghat and other places to ferry Hazare’s supporters.

Senior BJP leader L K Advani said he was not surprised at the detention of Hazare and charged the government with looking for scapegoats and stopping peaceful protests instead of fighting corruption.

Anna fasts in police detention

Anna Hazare today launched a fast in police custody soon after he was detained for sticking to his plan to defy prohibitory orders and stage a protest against corruption here.

The Hazare Team said the Gandhian was on fast and was not even taking water after he was taken to a police facility in north Delhi.

“He is on fast. He is not even taking water,” a spokesperson for the Hazare Team said.

Hazare was detained from an apartment in east Delhi’s Mayur Vihar this morning after police failed to persuade him to call off his plans to defy prohibitory orders and stage a protest at Jai Prakash Narain Park here.

Besides Hazare, his close associates Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Shanti Bhushan were also detained.

The Gandhian had announced that he would launch his indefinite fast from today demanding withdrawal of the “weak” Lokpal Bill and introduce a strong legislation to fight corruption.

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