Anna supporters block highway near Ralegan Siddhi

Supporters of Anna Hazare on Friday blocked the Pune-Ahmednagar Highway near Ralegan Siddhi, the Gandhian's native village in Western Maharashtra.

The protesters poured onto the busy highway at around 10 am, disrupting traffic, in support of Hazare whose fast in Delhi for a strong Lokpal Bill entered the 12th day on Saturday.

The agitation has been peaceful till now, district police chief Krishna Prakash said. Shyam Asawa, local spokesperson of Hazare's movement, said the agitators wanted to court arrest.

More than 75,000 people are on the streets in 14 tehsils of the district to express solidarity with the 74-year-old social activist and his anti-corruption movement, Asawa, an advocate, claimed.

Students from schools and colleges in the district also joined the pro-Hazare agitation.