Facebook users' support grows for Anna Hazare

PUNE: The online community has pitched in with support to veteran social activist Anna Hazare in large numbers. On Facebook, the already active Pune chapter of the 'India against corruption' (IAC) page, received angry responses from users after his detention on Tuesday. Several events carried out in support of Hazare are also being pasted on this page while other support pages are requesting users to change their profile pictures to 'black' as a sign of protest.

The IAC page has over three lakh users supporting Hazare including nearly 6,000 users from Pune. The page had a minute-by-minute update on happenings in the city including supporters being arrested along with the pictures of the protest. Faizan Shaikh, one of the users, urged people through Facebook to wear black bands to work on Wednesday to protest Anna's arrest.

An angry Rahul Vitkar, wrote on the page, "Inkalaab zindabad!, Anna Hazare zindabad." Many users showed interest in participating in events planned by the Pune users in support of Hazare.

Several users changed their profile pictures to Anna Hazare's poster which read, 'I support Anna'.

A universal website, www.indiaagainstcorruption.org, has also been created by a few youth to inform all about the Jan Lokpal Bill. While the movement started in April, the 'indiaagainstcorruption' website was set up in February and feedback can be posted on the Jan Lokpal Bill.

Anna went on a fast on April 5, and within a few days, people realised its importance, and the movement gained momentum. When Anna first went on a fast over corruption, a basic Facebook group was started, and it now has more than 2.80 lakh members. Slowly, Chennai, Mumbai, Chhattisgarh, Bangalore, Pune and Thiruvananthapuram started their own groups on 'Facebook'.

Some users demanded the resignation of prime minister Manmohan Singh following Anna Hazare's arrest in the morning. Rohini Mishra, a user on 'Facebook' wrote, "Go ahead Anna, we are with you. Jai hind!" Another user, Rakesh Mishra wrote, "We will fast until you are released. The entire youth is with you." Jashan Joshi said, "Who says Mahatma Gandhi is dead. He is still alive and the world is supporting him."

Besides Anna Hazare, Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal also received support from thousands of users and they urged that Bedi must lead the campaign after Anna's arrest.

On the other hand, Manmohan Singh's 'Facebook' page faced public fury. A separate page saying 'Manmohan Singh please resign' was also created with several users subscribing to it.

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Anna Hazare inside, Tihar turns protest venue

New Delhi: Tihar jail overnight became the new Jantar Mantar for team Anna Hazare and a protest venue for thousands of Anna supporters. Anna's associate Manish Sishodia said, "I would appeal to people that please come here and sit with us till Anna Hazare is freed."

By 11 pm on Tuesday, there was a crowd of atleast 3000 people outside the prison complex - students, elderly couples, even working professionals.
One of the protestors Gurdeep Singh said, "I'd like to correct you, its 2 am in the morning and I don't think anyone should sit at home right now. If you're sleeping, you're doing a great injustice to your nation."
Like Gurdeep there were many others who came to Tihar straight after finishing their day's work.
No one looked tired or bored, perhaps it was because of all the spirited singing.
It is 3:30 am, the numbers have reduced but the enthusiasm of these people hasn't gone down. Many of them were singing patriotic numbers and there are others who are just present to show their solidarity.
But they're all clear in their resolve and that is no one will leave this location till the time Anna Hazare steps out.

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Akali Dal slams government on Anna's arrest

Chandigarh : The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab Tuesday slammed the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) central government for the arrest of activist and anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare in Delhi.
Party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is also the Punjab deputy chief minister, said the central government's action brought back memories of the era of Emergency.
He said in a statement issued here that Hazare and his core team were arrested Tuesday even before they could start their formal peaceful protest in the national capital to press for a strong, anti-corruption Lokpal Bill.
Badal said the mass-scale arrests throughout the country reflected the level of panic of the Congress leadership and that they wanted to scuttle any anti-corruption movement fearing their imminent arrest in the multi-lakh crore rupee scams.
Badal said: "It is a black day for the largest democracy of the world when its citizens are not allowed to carry out their peaceful protests against rampant corruption in the government and citizens are jailed without specifying any charge."
"By curtailing the freedom of citizens just after the 65th Independence Day of the nation, the Congress party has pained the souls of all those known and unknown freedom fighters, who laid down their lives for the country," he added.
Chiding the Congress for its action against Hazare, Badal said: "The Congress, which calls itself the votary of Gandhian ideology and his methods of peaceful and non-violent protests, was out to tarnish Gandhi's image internationally by launching a nationwide drive against Hazare's Gandhian movement."
"Mahatma Gandhi must be turning in his grave after the arrest of Anna Hazare," Badal said.
He said that the UPA government could be listed as the most corrupt by the Guinness World Records.

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Laws cannot be made by social activists in a maidan: Chidambaram

NEW DELHI: Strongly defending Anna Hazare's detention, the government on Tuesday said the Gandhian was taken into custody after Delhi Police came to a conclusion that he and his supporters would commit a "cognisable offence" by defying prohibitory orders.
Home minister P Chidambaram said after being taken into custody, 73-year-old Hazare was taken to the Police Officers Mess in Civil Lines here and he will be produced before a magistrate.

Chidambaram said arresting Team Anna was a painful duty but Anna Hazare refused to accept six conditions of Delhi Police. "Took the decision keeping in mind precedence, law and order", Chidambaram added.

"Police met Anna Hazare this morning and he told them that he intended to defy the prohibitory orders. At that time, police came to a conclusion that he will commit a congnisable offence. They invoked sections 107 and 151 of CrPC which calls for preventive measures," he told a press conference.

Chidambaram was replying to a volley of questions on why Delhi Police detained Hazare and his supporters even before they defied the prohibitory orders.

He said around 1,200-1,300 people have been detained across the national capital. Six members of Team Anna Hazare were also detained, he said.

Chidambaram said if Hazare and his supporters were not happy with the conditions imposed by the Delhi Police for their proposed stir they could have challenged it in a court of law.

"They are free to go to court even now," the home minister said.

He also ridiculed Hazare's contention that their Jan Lokpal bill draft has to be considered, saying, "Laws cannot be made by social activists in a maidan."

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Govt says yes to joint panel, no to Anna Hazare as chairman

New Delhi:  Congress president Sonia Gandhi has appealed to social activist and Gandhian Anna Hazare to end his fast. In a statement, Mrs Gandhi said, "There are no two views on combating corruption. I believe that laws must be effective."

The massive and spontaneous outpouring of support for Mr Hazare's crusade against corruption has forced the government to sit up, take notice and say yes to a joint committee to draft the Lokpal Bill. But it is holding out on agreeing to Anna Hazare heading that panel.

On the third day of Anna's fast, the government reached out first with an offer to set up an informal group, including activists and ministers, to draft the Lokpal Bill, and then, when the activists rejected that offer, agreed to set up the joint committee.

But after two rounds of talks with social activists Arvind Kejriwal and Swami Agnivesh, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal admitted there was still a stalemate. He said differences remained over formal notification of a joint committee and on who would chair the committee. The minister said they would meet again on Friday.

In a significant move, sources said the Government had agreed to the setting up of a joint committee with an equal number of members from both sides - government and the civil society. The government also agreed that the first meeting of the joint committee will happen as soon as it is formed and that they will not wait till May 13, which was what the government wanted to do earlier. And it agreed that the bill would be tabled in the monsoon session of Parliament this year, sources said.

What it would not agree to, however, was the activists' demand that there be a formal notification on the setting up of the joint committee. Sources said the government was loath to give in to this demand as it would set a precedent. Government sources said it had also rejected the activists' demand that Anna Hazare head the joint committee, pointing out that he could not chair a committee that included ministers.

But at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where Mr Hazare is sitting on fast and where the crowds are now swelling by the hour, the 72-year-old crusader said he would not head the committee. "I shouldn't be heading the committee as then people will say that was my aim. It never was...I will be a member."

Addressing a rally, Mr Hazare said, "power and money have intoxicating effects. People of the nation have woken up and will break this effect."

"2G scam, CWG scam, Adarsh scam have been revealed but those behind these scams haven't been jailed. This is why we need the Lokpal Bill," Anna Hazare said, to loud cheers from the crowd. "Keep Chattrapati Shivaji as your ideal, only Gandhi will not do. Harsh words will have to be said," the veteran Gandhian added.(Watch: Govt drunk on corruption: Anna)

With lakhs of Indians throwing their weight behind him, the soldier of many such battles said in the morning, as he began his third day of fast, "I think nothing will happen to me for another 7 days, don't worry God is with me and I will be fine.

He said his "fast-unto-death" will continue till the government agrees to introduce a tough new law to fight corruption, and includes civil society representatives to help draft the Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen's Ombudsman Bill). Sources in the government have said the Prime Minister is likely to release a statement soon on the impasse with Mr Hazare and other social activists. (Read: What is Jan Lokpal Bill? | Why Anna Hazare opposes it)

The PM met Kapil Sibal this morning to discuss the issue. "We had a constructive dialogue on Hazare's demands," Sibal said after the meeting.

Both Mr Hazare and the government have said they're open to dialogue. Mr Hazare told NDTV on Wednesday night, "We are prepared, and when have we said no to dialogue? The ones who have the power to make decisions, either Sonia Gandhi or the PM, should be part of the dialogue...We have a request, that if the Lokpal Bill is to be made, then have 50% of our people, 50% of yours, have a joint committee, and begin the drafting process."

Various ministers from the government have said they respect Mr Hazare's mission, and that the government is committed to combating corruption among politicians and bureaucrats. However, they say that legislation is the business of Parliament alone, and allowing civil society to help draft this law would set a dangerous precedent.

Mr Hazare's call to action - he is asking Indians to join demonstrations in their cities or fast for as long as they can - has seen an emotional and enormous response. Since the fall of last year, a series of corruption scandals have left the government reeling and the country incensed.

The 72-year-old Gandhian who is fronting the Indian Against Corruption movement said today that he apologizes that politician Uma Bharti was heckled last evening when she tried to join him on stage at his base at Jantar Mantar in the Capital. He said while everyone is welcome to join the crowds, he will not let politicians try to manipulate the people's goodwill by posing as  leaders of what he describes as India's second freedom struggle.

Mr Hazare and the social activists who support him have also questioned the government's wisdom in its choice of the Group of Ministers set up to fight corruption. After public criticism from Mr Hazare and others, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar quit the panel yesterday.  "So what," said Mr Hazare, "if one Pawar goes...another will come."

Today, he echoed that sentiment, stressing, "Politicians have ruined the nation."

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/govt-reaches-out-to-anna-hazare-96934&cp

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Anna Hazare: the last Gandhian standing

When Manmohan Singh gave his Independence Day address to the nation yesterday, one man was missing in action.
Mahatma Gandhi.
Usually no Independence Day speech is complete without some quote from the Father of the Nation. But this time there was only one mention of his name: the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Act. Singh probably didn’t want to draw too much attention to the Father of the Nation when his government was making plans to put the most famous Gandhian around into preventive custody. An intention he signaled when he declared any Bapuji-style dissent to be unproductive and improper:

It is essential that when we consider these issues, we do not create an atmosphere in which the country’s progress comes into question. Any debate on these matters should reflect the confidence that we can overcome these challenges… Those who don’t agree with this [Lokpal] Bill… should not resort to hunger strikes and fasts unto death.

In one fell swoop – in the name of defending progress – our Prime Minister repositioned his government as the Gandhi-shunning angrez sarkar. And come the morning after Independence Day, we found ourselves transported back to the days of the British Raj: preemptive arrests along with calls for a jail bharo movement. As a grizzled Anna Hazare supporter on television put it, “It has become like a British government. As of this day, I am naming Manmohan Singh government as the sarkar of Churchill.”

The UPA government played right into Anna's hands this morning. Adnan Abidi/Reuters

Game, set, and match to Hazare. A planned protest that could well have tested the patience of a nation od-ed on fasting leaders now has the makings of a nationwide civil disobedience movement. Gandhi-giri zindabad!
From Anna to Mahatma
Back in April, when Anna Hazare talked about a Corruption Bharat Chhodo movement, it seemed a clumsy attempt to re-stage a bit of swadesi theatre, complete with prabhat pheris and patriotic songs. At the time, media commentators dismissed him as naïve, arguing Gandhi-giri was better suited to fight colonial rule than the far more insidious and ubiquitous disease of corruption. Hazare was living in some Gandhian Neverland, an old man trying to relive his glory days. As damning evidence of his anachronistic politics, he’d even been joined by Gandhi’s last living personal secretary, Venkita Kalyanam.
What was the old man going to do next? Make some salt?
As it turns out, he didn’t need to – thanks to the UPA government which played right into his hands this morning.
“During Jallianwallah Bagh, the gora Angrez did a terrible injustice. Now the kaale Angrez have done the same,” said Hazare after the government’s Ramdev crackdown. A charge that didn’t quite take root with Ramdev because of his reputation of a bit of a carpetbagger with political ambitions. And while the government’s midnight raid didn’t do its reputation any good, Ramdev’s attempt to flee from the Ramlila grounds in a salwar-kameez didn’t help him either.
But where arrests and crackdowns may have worked in sidelining the yoga guru, they have the precisely opposite effect with Hazare who is chomping at the bit to be a 21^st century Gandhi. His video message to the people makes that clear when he describes the anti-corruption movement as “azaadi ki doosri ladai” (the second Independence struggle). By throwing him into preventive custody, and sweeping up Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi — just as the British did with Nehru, Patel and Azad — the government is playing its part to a tee.
The problem for the UPA is that a cranky, dogged old man has managed to get a famously apathetic cynical middle class off its collective butt. The only reason he’s been able to do it is because there is no indication of a personal agenda or power grab. His claim to moral authority rests on the fact that he appears to have no interest in electoral politics, or in securing himself any position of political power. He’s also stayed above the fray of party politics, having never once asked for the resignation of the UPA government despite all its scams. And that is why all of the government’s ham-handed attempts to discredit him have fallen flat. At a time when the Gandhi topi itself had become the symbol of the greedy politician, he’s put the starch back into the old khadi. Congress leaders clearly gambled on a Ramdev Redux. Just shove the guy off-stage and out of sight and the country will go back to channel-surfing. The TV channels instead are filled with images of crowds slowly gathering in various cities, from Mumbai to Patna, and of activists and lay citizens bearing banners proclaiming, “Arrest Me.” Now is Manmohan Singh really ready to deal with a new jail bharo andolan on his hands? Whether a crowd gathers at Jantar Mantar or merely on Facebook, whether Hazare is able to spark a genuine civil disobedience movement or not, the government comes across as the burra sahib with a tin ear, making noises about corruption but without any conviction, as the British once did about self-rule.
The UPA government has turned Anna Hazare into the last Gandhian standing.

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Digvijay justifies Anna's arrest

Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Tuesday (August 16) accused Anna Hazare of indulging in politics instead of fighting corruption and attacked him for burning copies of the government bill on Lokpal a few days back.

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Anna Hazare’s arrest sparks off angry protests, both Houses adjourned

In an early morning swoop the Delhi Police picked up social activist Anna Hazare from his residence here just as he was preparing to leave for Gandhi Samadhi at Rajghat ahead of his fast at JP park to press for a strong anti-corruption Lokpal Bill.

"Second freedom struggle"

"This is the second fight for freedom and this movement will not halt now,’’ said Mr Hazare as he was whisked away with several supporters trying to stop the vehicle that carried him to officers’ mess at civil lines. He was later sent to Tihar jail after he reportedly refused to offer surety for his bail before a magistrate.

"We have orders from higher up,’’ said the detaining officer when Mr Hazare asked him what his crime was. Team Hazare was denied permission to stage his indefinite fast and prohibitory orders were imposed at the venue after they refused to comply with all the riders imposed by the police.

The arrest sparked off angry, widespread protests with reports of people courting arrests from different parts of the country and opposition parties slamming the move as an attack on democratic and civil rights of citizens.

Both the houses of Parliament were adjourned over the issue.

Along with Mr. Hazare, other key members of the India Against Corruption movement including Arvind Kejriwal, Shanti Bhushan, Kiran Bedi and Manish Sisodia were also detained from different venues. About 1300 supporters were detained in Delhi alone.

In a terse statement made to the press, Home Secretary R.K. Singh said Mr Hazare was detained because he said he was going to defy prohibitory orders.

With opposition parties and activists likening government the action to the emergency imposed in the country in 1975, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee came before the media to say that while everyone had the right to protest, if the police perceives a law and order situation, it can impose conditions. Union Ministers P. Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal and Ambika Soni also addressed the media to express similar views.

Attack on democratic rights: Brinda

Blasting the government, CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat said the detentions were an attack on democratic rights of people which the government should re-consider. ``We totally reject the argument that because the Lokpal Bill was in Parliament, there can be no protests on it. If it is so, then even the Women’s Reservation Bill is before Parliament and there are so many protests over it. Did the government accuse them even once as it has Anna Hazare?’’

Terming it as a ``sad day’’ for India democracy, BJP leader Arun Jaitley the move shows that the UPA is a government in panic and has over-reacted. ``Do a group of citizens who disagree with the government have the right to protest and dissent or not or have we abandoned civil rights and the right to protest in this country?’’

"Rehearsal of emergency"

In Patna, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar described Mr Hazare’s detention as ``murder of democracy’’ and said it was a "rehearsal of emergency’’ which the people will never tolerate.

Addressing a joint press conference, lawyer Prashant Bhushan said he was going to move the Supreme Court against the action, while Swami Agnivesh called upon the government to withdraw the ``repressive measures’’ and hold a dialogue with the civil society group.

Activist Medha Patkar said while there were several movements as theirs under the banner of the National Alliance of People’s Movements, but Anna Hazare had come to be a representative of all anti-corruption struggles. She said to say that the Bill was before Parliament and therefore there should be no protests on this was wrong. "After all, it was Parliament that passed the Bill on setting up Special Economic Zones.’’

Baba Ramdev, whose demonstration against corruption was lathi-charged by the Delhi Police in June, said this government was ``dictatorial, cruel and manipulative’’.

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Bollywood condemns Anna Hazare's detention

Bollywood actors and directors react on Anna Hazare's arrest and support his movement

Bipasha Basu
Anna Hazare needs to be supported to kill the 'Demon' called 'Corruption' that is eating up our Country!

R Madhavan
This move and method of preventing Anna Hazare is, in my opinion, most foolish and silly high-handed act by the authorities. It's a big mistake. Why is the Supreme Court quite on this blatant breech of Anna Hazare's right to peaceful protest? Is the Govt. afraid, that like the right to Info bill, passing the Lok Pal too may come back to bite them in their posterior.

Trisha
How can they arrest a man who only wants peace for this nation? Ridiculous! It's very sad and disillusioning day for India!

Dia Mirza
It's clear the government today has made Anna Hazare a bigger hero than he already was.

Farhan Akhtar
The Indian citizen has the right to protest peacefully. Anna's arrest is unconstitutional and shows symptoms of an authoritarian mindset.

Shabana Azami
We condemn the arrest of Anna Hazare and his team and the ban on the proposed fast. Right to protest peacefully is a democratic right.

Anurag Kashyap
Congress is really behaving like how they did during the emergency; they play it like they really have a lot to hide. Congress, by use of force is just reaffirming the negative view people have of their governance and gives more credibility to the accusations.

Javed Akhtar
I have had certain reservations about Anna's method but his arrest can not be condoned. It is undemocratic and unacceptable.

Anupam Kher
Anna Hazare, Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal arrested even before they reach JP Park. It's a saddest day for Indian Democracy.

Khushbu
A sad day as we step into another year of independence of the so called free democratic India. We were able to get the British off our back but continue to carry the load of power, money and belief in slavery. Is this India, Gandhi fought for?

Punit Malhotra
Anna's gotten arrested! Don't know if it's right or wrong but one thing is for sure the Govt. is making themselves villains. I am all for Anna and support his movement and think the arrest is unconstitutional and incorrect. It's just that I am unaware on the laws and don't know if it's technically against the law for him to protest.

Madhur Bhandarkar
We totally condemn the arrest of Anna Hazare... Voices of people like Anna can't be muffled by detaining them. He stands today as the voice of 120 cr Indians.

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All for Anna: Nationwide protest against his detention

People across India take to the streets to protest against the detention of social activist Anna Hazare and his supporters in New Delhi. KolkataFollowing Anna's detention, an NGO "Help us Help them" is going to observe a silent protest in the city. "This is
horrid and unacceptable. It is against our democratic polity. We are all free to demonstrate in a peaceful manner. Anna is fighting for our country, for the well being of all its citizens. We should all unite to support him. Our NGO is supporting his cause. We will be having a peaceful demonstration today," said Mukti Gupta, the secretary of the organisation. The youngsters of the city have also planned to support the protest. "Anna came as a special guest in a television show on Friday. He requested all the Indians to support him by standing out of their houses at 8pm today. My friends and I have decided to follow his wishes," said Priyanka Sau, a resident of Bally in Howrah district.
ChennaiPeople in Chennai gathered to support social activist Anna Hazare's demand for a strong anti-corruption bill, said the India Against Corruption (IAC), which backs the leader.
"With Anna Hazare being detained by Delhi Police, we will soon decide on the issue of courting arrest," media coordinator for IAC Bhavana Upadhyaya told IANS.
Freedom fighter Lakshmikanthan Bharathi, 85, began his fast. Ninety-year-old Venkata Kalyanam, former personal secretary to Mahatma Gandhi, is also expected to join.
Corporate executives, software professionals, media artistes and small businessmen are at the venue of fast in south Chennai, Upadhyaya said.
LucknowPeople across various age groups and different walks of life held demonstrations in this Uttar Pradesh capital to protest the detention of Anna Hazare.
People held protests at several places, including Hazratganj, Gomti Nagar, Aliganj and Vikas Nagar.
Shouting anti-graft slogans, people condemned the Delhi Police action against Hazare, who was detained Tuesday morning, hours before his planned fast against a proposed anti-corruption bill.
Himachal PradeshSeveral activists began an indefinite hunger strike in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi town to press for a strong anti-corruption lokpal bill and express solidarity with civil society leader Anna Hazare, who was detained early morning.
"As per the scheduled programme, we have started our fast in support of a strong Lokpal bill. Since police have arrested Anna, we have decided to go as per previous plan. If needed, we will court arrest," RTI activist Lawan Thakur told IANS from Mandi.
He said Anna's arrest was regrettable and condemnable.
MaharashtraResidents of Anna Hazare's village Ralegan Siddhi took to the streets to protest the detention of the anti-corruption crusader in New Delhi. There were demonstrations in Pune and Mumbai too.
Scores of people trooped out of their homes soon after news of the arrest of Hazare and his team members reached the village, about 230 km from Mumbai. There was a spontaneous shutdown in the village.
Flaying the arrests, many villagers, including women, marched to the local Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation bus depot and raised slogans against the government.
The state police had deployed tight security in the village and all the roads leading to it from Pune, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad and Nashik.
While thousands of activists staged a march in Pune, a large number of protestors started gathering near Dadar in Mumbai to chart out the further course of action.
The main agitation is planned at Azad Maidan in Mumbai later Tuesday where prominent activists, including Medha Patkar, are expected to congregate.
OrissaHundreds of Hazare's supporters held deomonstrations and rallies in protest against his arrest in Bhubaneswar and other cities of Orissa.
In Bhubaneswar, senior citizens, lawyers, social activists and students held demonstrations at several places to show their solidarity with Hazare. "Hazare's arrest reminds one of the emergency in 1975 when democratic rights were throttled by the political establishment," said Rabi Das, convenor of Jan Sammelani.
In Sambapur, about 300 activists held a motorcycle rally demanding Hazare's release and a strong janlokpal bill.

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Advani slams Govt. over Anna's detention

New Delhi, Aug 16 (ANI): Slamming the government over the detention of veteran social activist Anna Hazare, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L K Advani on Tuesday said instead of dealing with the problem of corruption and owning responsibility, the former is trying to find scapegoats and is stopping peaceful protests.
 

"I am not surprised at this development. This is the direction in which this government is moving," NDTV quoted Advani as, saying.
 The 73-year-old Gandhian was taken into custody from a residential area in Delhi before he was to proceed to the venue of his fast in Jai Prakash Narain Park where prohibitory orders are in place.
 Three other prominent activists Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Shanti Bhushan were also taken into preventing custody.
 According to sources, senior police officials, including DCP (Crime) Ashok Chand, met 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.
 However, Hazare turn down the request following which he was detained, Times Now reports.
 Around 500 supporters were with Anna at the time of his detention.
 Around 500 police personnel have been deployed from early morning itself after the city police imposed Section 144 around the park, police sources 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. (ANI)

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