Day 2: Protests continue all over India

voicing their support for a strong Lok Pal Bill.

The BJP activists have staged demonstrations at different places in Punjab and Haryana against the Congress led UPA government,Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma said.

“Congress is facing serious corruption charges and those who are raising their voice against corruption and blackmoney stashed in foreign banks are being forcefully

suppressed,” Sharma said.

“Congress’ autocratic functioning was clearly visible during Ramdev’s protest and Yuva Morch rally… Leaders of opposition are not being allowed to speak in both Houses of Parliament and now it has taken an undemocratic step against Hazare and his team members,” he said.

The BJP activists after staging protests handed over memorandums to respective Deputy Commissioners against the Congress functioning.

Meanwhile,activists of NGOs- ‘India Against Corruption’ and ‘Awaaz’ continued with their protest at different parts of the twin states and their joint capital.

The demonstrations so far have been peaceful and no untoward incident has been reported from any parts of Punjab and Haryana,officials said here.

Reports of protests have been received from Rohtak,Karnal,Ambala,Hisar,Kurukshetra,Gurdaspur,Pathankot,Ludhiana,Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur.

Uttar Pradesh

Ghaziabad: Supporters of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare today staged demonstrations here against the Centre for arresting the Gandhian and burnt an effigy of Union Minister Kapil Sibal.

The demonstrations were held in Raja Nagar area here. The BJP will take out a march in evening today against rampant corruption,in support of Anna Hazare and a strong

Lokpal,BJP western UP media-in-charge Sardar S P Singh said.

Last evening,protests had been staged in various places of the district including Ghaziabad,Modinagar,Hapur,Pilakhuwa,Loni and Sahibabad.

Bihar

Patna: Bihar unit of ‘India Against Corruption’,the umbrella body of the citizen’s movement fighting for a strong Lokpal,today said its members would start a wider contact programme in the state from tomorrow.

“Our activists will visit every village and town in the state as part of wider campaign expressing solidarity with the movement launched by Gandhian social activist Anna Hazare against corruption,” state IAC convenor Sanjay Kumar Dutta said.

Hazare’s supporters undertook a padyatra from Maurya Lok complex to Kargil chowk here this morning in protest against yesterday’s police action against Anna and his aides in New Delhi.

State unit of IAC had yesterday held fast and demonstrations at various places in the state to protest against arrest of Anna Hazare.

The IAC members also brought out protest marches in Purnia,Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur.

Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu: Unwavering supporters of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare today staged demonstrations here and took out protest rallies against the Centre for arresting the Gandhian.

The city had witnessed candle light vigils in various parts last night.

Hundreds of demonstrators converged on Jammu-Pathankote highway at Traro area in the district and took out a protest rally. The rally,however,caused inconvenience to the commuters.

They raised slogans against the Centre and demanded immediate and unconditional release of Hazare.

Chanting slogans like ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’,the protesters flayed the government for shielding the corrupt by preparing a weak Lokpal bill.

“We will continue our protests till Anna is released and is allowed to carry out his fight against corruption”,Anna’s supporter Devinder Singh said.

Students bunked classes and staged demonstrations in front of GGM science college in support of Anna demanding his immediate release.

“We want Anna out of Tihar jail now. We want him to continue his war against corruption and ensure that Jan Lokpal bill is passed… Students are with them in his struggle,” a college student Sunita Sharma said.

Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad: For the second consecutive day,the Telugu Desam Party held massive demonstrations across Andhra Pradesh protesting the undemocratic arrest of

anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare and his supporters in New Delhi.

TDP president and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu led a dharna of his party workers at the Mahatma Gandhi statue on MG Road in Secunderabad.

“Carry on your fight (against corruption)… We will be with you,” the TDP rank and file promised Hazare and raised slogans against corruption.

Chandrababu once again lashed out at the Central government over the manner in which it dealt with Hazare’s protest.

“The entire nation is up against corruption but the Government of India remains indifferent. We want a stronger Jan Lokpal and not a ‘toothless’ law to root out corruption,” Chandrababu asserted.

In Krishna district too TDP activists staged protests condemning the arrest of Hazare.

Karnataka

Bangalore: Thousands of students skipped classes as they thronged Freedom Park here in support of Anna Hazare,with former Supreme Court judge Santosh N Hegde,also joining the dharna.

Hegde,a member of the joint committee on drafting the Lokpal bill who till recently was Karnataka Lokyukta,threw his weight behind the protest for the second day as slogans of ‘Vande Mataram’ and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” constantly rent the air.

“Anna is fighting for us. We are here to support him,” several students said. Some had even taken permission from their Principal to be part of the protest.

Techies,NGOs and elderly were seen lending support as the crowds swelled,compared to yesterday,with the protest appearing to gather further momentum.

Hegde reiterated that the government made a mistake by arresting Hazare and now wants to rectify it,adding,he is sure the social activist would again be taken into custody when he launches an indefinite fast once released,which would allow it to “legitimise” its move.

He opined that if the Government came out with “open heart and open soul (willingness to look into their version),we (the civil society members) are ready to discussions again”.

Capt G R Gopinath,founder of low cost airline Air Deccan,said the fight is not against any political party; it’s against the system.

He said the Government,instead of arresting Hazare,should have opted to discuss the provisions enunciated by Team Anna in Parliament,adding,it should now show “grace” as it’s not too late.

Leh

Leh: Supporters of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare today called for a day-long dharna and a protest march to the office of the District Commissioner.

Thousands of supporters and several political and civil society organisations today decided to sit on the dharna as a mark of support for Hazare’s campaign.

“It is our responsibility to support such a leader (Hazare) who is struggling against corruption without having any political or other interests,” Thupstan Chhewang,former Member of Parliament from Ladakh,said while addressing the

supporters.

The protests here are being organised under the leadership of civil society activist Pintu Norboo. “The people of the country are now sick of seeing and hearing about corruption and want a revolution against this,” Norboo said.

Tamil Nadu

Chennai: For the second day,a large number of people today observed fast here in support of Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption campaign.

More than 300 people assembled at Adyar here under the banner of “India Against Corruption”,an umbrella body of the citizen’s movement fighting for a powerful Lokpal Bill,and sat on a fast.

The protesters from all walks of people carried banners saying ‘Say no to corruption and yes to Jan Lok Pal’.

One of them said they were happy to know about Hazare’s likely release from the Tihar Jail and continuing his fast at JP Park in Delhi in support of a strong anti-graft

legislation.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Private Secretary Kalyanaraman and few other prominent personalities were present at the site to extend their support to the cause.

Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar: Students from the North East Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST) at Nirjuli organized a mass procession in support of Anna Hazare from the institute campus this morning which culminated at the deputy commissioner’s office at Naharlagun.

Over 300 students carrying placards and shouting slogans in support of Hazare stalled traffic movement in the NH 52-A for over two hours.

Later,the students also submitted a memorandum to the district magistrate.

In Itanagar number of citizens,especially youths,staged a dharna at Akashdeep market complex shouting slogans and holding banners.

Those present expressed anger over detention of Anna Hazare and urged every Arunachalee to join the crusade against corruption.

All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) convener Ringu Kuku,who was one of the participants,informed that everybody spontaneously participated in the dharna.

“When Anna is fighting for the cause of billions of Indians,it is our duty to show solidarity with him. Arunachal is one of the most corrupted states in India. Therefore,if the Lok Pal Bill becomes a reality,citizens of this state will bear maximum fruits. So we need to support Anna in his fight,” Kuku said.

Orissa

Bhubaneswar: Protest against crackdown on Anna Hazare and his aides had its echo in Orissa Assembly which was adjourned twice amid uproar as BJP and ruling BJD

MLAs condemned the action and sought a strong Jan Lokpal.

As the question hour began on the opening day of the monsoon session,BJP legislature party leader K V Singhdeo and party members were on their feet dubbing the Congress-led UPA government at the centre as “murderer of democracy”.

Shouting anti-UPA government slogans,BJP legislators stormed into the well of the House demanding tabling of a strong Jan Lokpal Bill in Parliament. The slogans rocked the house almost throughout the question hour.

BJP backed Independent MLA Pratap Sarangi,who also joined the protest,said outside the House that a discussion should be held in the assembly and a censure motion adopted against the action on Hazare and his supporters.

When the question hour was about to end,Congress members shouted against NHPC’s Sindol proejct saying it would affect people in three districts in western Orissa. The House was adjourned for 15 minutes amidst uproar.

When the House reassembled,ruling BJD MLAs started sloganeering against the Centre over the Hazare episode,leading to adjournment of the house till 3 pm.

Outside the Assembly,rallies,demonstrations and dharnas were held in several areas of the state with protesters burning effigies of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in some places.

In the state capital,demonstrations were staged under the banner of various outfits including India Against Corruption.

Lawyers of Orissa High Court in Cuttack also joined the protest wearing black badges and terming the action on

Hazare as an assault on democracy and human rights.

Students of SCB Medical College at Cuttack also expressed solidarity with the anti-graft movement by Hazare. Reports of protest were received from several places including Balangir,Sambalpur,Berhampur,Rourkela,Barbil,Keonjhar and Gunupur.

Madhya Pradesh

Indore: Protesting social activist Anna Hazare’s arrest in Delhi yesterday,hundreds of BJP workers today staged a sit-in outside an emporium here,while groups of citizens demonstrated at Regal Circle,the police said.

Waving placards,posters and the tricolour,protesters shouted slogans and marched down the streets near Regal and MG Road,the police said.

Over one thousand BJP workers led by Shankar Lalwani,the city BJP head,took part in the sit-in.

BJP Minority Morcha’s Nasir Shah also took out a protest march from Khajrana to Dargah Chauraha,party spokesperson said.

Besides political activists,students,lawyers,businessmen,and women also took part in the protests. Police said that no untoward incident took place.

Maharashtra

Mumbai: Protests continued here today as supporters of Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement thronged the Azad Maidan in South Mumbai on the second day,protesting the ‘undemocratic’ manner in which the 74-year-old Gandhian was taken into custody by Delhi police.

Besides the activists of the NGO ‘India Against Corruption’ (IAC),youth and mill workers also joined the protests.

People started trickling in since morning at the sprawling ground,from where several protesters had been evicted last night by police.

Ad-man Bharat Dabholkar and chairman of All India Imaam Parishad Maulana Mufti were among those who addressed the protesters.

At suburban Powai,a group of former Army personnel gathered to express solidarity with Hazare,an ex-Army man. The mill workers’ union also joined the protest.

Members of Left trade unions too were protesting at the Azad Maidan,city CPI leader Prakash Reddy said.

Singer Kailash Kher would be performing at the Maidan tomorrow,an IAC spokesperson said.

The mood at Azad Maidan was of patriotic fervour,as hundreds of protesters were chanting slogans and singing patriotic songs.

Some railway employees also joined in the protest. Motormen gathered in front of the divisional railway manager’s office at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus,to express support to Hazare’s agitation; but train services were not disrupted,they said.

“Fighting against corruption is everyone’s right and our whole staff is with Hazare,” said Venu Nair,divisional secretary of National Railway Mazdoor Union.

New Delhi

Thousands of Anna Hazare supporters today took out a march from India Gate to Jantar Mantar to express solidarity with the Gandhian in his fight against corruption.

Protesters,some of them dressed in t-shirts and Gandhi caps shouting slogans “I am Anna”,gathered at the War Memorial at around 4 pm and began marching towards Jantar Mantar,where Hazare had sat on a fast in April which forced the government to expedite the introduction of the Lokpal Bill in Parliament.

The march choked the roads in and around India Gate and brought traffic in Lutyen’s Delhi to a halt causing inconvenience to commuters.

Gujarat

Ahmedabad: Sit-ins,rallies,and demonstrations took place for the second day today in many parts of the state,protesting the arrest of social activist Anna Hazare in Delhi.

In Surat,protesters stopped the Gujarat Express at Udhna station for 30 minutes whereas school children in Varacha area took out a march in support of Hazare’s anti-corruption movement.

Marches were also held in Chowk Bazar and Sosyo Circle in the city. An effigy of the Union government was also burnt by the protesters,police said.

In Ahmedabad,volunteers of India Against Corruption (IAC) took out march from Shajanand College. Public sit-in protest was also organised at Laldarwaja,Gomtipur.

An effigy of the Congress government was also burnt at the Income Tax circle by the volunteers of IAC.

The state BJP held demonstration at Subhash bridge area,in support of Hazare.

In Anand,local BJP workers took out marches,while shops and offices remained closed in Borsad town of the district. Schools and colleges also remained closed.

Protest marches,demonstrations were held in many parts of Banaskantha district including district headquarters Palanpur,Deesa and other talukas.

Similar protests were witnessed in Patan,Sabarkantha Mehsana,Kutch and Navsari districts.

In Dahod,members of local Art of Living group came out in Hazre’s support and took out a march,while the youth wing of district BJP held a sit-in protest.

In Rajkot,rally was organised by IAC volunteers at the Indulal Yagnik Road while a demonstration was staged by Saurashtra Sankalan Samiti.

In Bhavnagar too,people gathered at the Victoria park and Goghgha gate and shouted anti-Union government slogans.