Anna Hazare detained ahead of protest fast

New Delhi, August 15: Hours before he was to launch his fast against corruption, social activist Anna Hazare was on Tuesday detained by Delhi Police here preventing him from going ahead with his protest.
Two other prominent activists Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi were also taken into preventing custody at Rajghat, Delhi Police said.
The 74-year-old Gandhian was taken into custody from a residential area in Mayur Vihar before he was to proceed to the venue of his fast in JP Park where prohibitory orders are in place.
According to sources, senior police officials, including DCP (Crime) Ashok Chand, met with Mr. Hazare this morning at an east Delhi apartment where he was staying in a bid to convince him to not go ahead with his planned protest defying prohibitory orders at JP Park.
However, Mr. Hazare turn down the request following which he was detained.
"We have detained him as he did not budge from his position of defying prohibitory orders,' police official said.
Flaying the police move, Ms. Bedi said, "Emergency has revisited the country.'
"This detention is undemocratic and unconstitutional,' she said.
Around 500 supporters were with Anna at the time of his detention.
Chanting "Bharat Mata ki jai' and "Vande Matram,' supporters created hurdles in the way of the police which were trying to take him to a nearby police station.
Ahead of the proposed fast by the Gandhian, a group of people had thronged the east Delhi apartment where Mr. Hazare was staying to pledge their support to his protest.
Security personnel, including some in plain clothes and some from the special branch, were deployed around the apartment premise.
Around 500 police personnel have been deployed from early morning itself after the city police imposed Section 144 around the park, police sources said.
Mr. Hazare had on Independence Day asked his supporters to fill up jails across the country if he was arrested after being denied permission to hold fast here.
After Prime Minister Manmohan Singh slammed him for resorting to fast as a protest when Parliament was seized of the Lokpal bill, the Gandhian had said he will go to JP Park despite Delhi police imposing prohibitory orders.
"I come to understand that I will be refused permission.
We will go there. If I am arrested, I will continue my hunger strike in jail. If I am released, I will go back to the venue and this circle will continue,' he had said.
He said once he is arrested, people should fill up the jails in every village across the country. "Going to jail for the country is no crime...It is a decoration,' he said.
Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat had said that prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC has been imposed in some areas of Daryaganj and IP police stations, which include Jai Prakash Narain Park and Shaheed Park. Mr. Hazare had earlier accused the Prime Minister of "speaking' the language of his ministerial colleague Kapil Sibal, saying the Lokpal bill was before Parliament which will take the call. (Agencies)


2011-08-15



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