Anna Hazare fasts in police detention

Anna Hazare on Tuesday 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.

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 on Tuesday 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.

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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.

Describing his detention as the beginning of the "second freedom struggle", Anna asked people not to let the agitation against corruption fizzle out and urged them to fill jails while his Team termed the police action as a "return of emergency".

"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.

"Time has come my countrymen when there should be no place left in jails in India to accommodate any more persons," he said while asking people to maintain peace.

"I once again request my fellow countrymen that peace should be maintained and there must be no violence...Crores of people have joined this movement and second line of leaders are standing to lead this movement. There are many who will continue to lead you and this fight will go on," he said.

The Hazare team described the detention as the "return of emergency without a formal proclamation" and asked what crime did the Gandhian commit to take him into custody.

"This is return of emergency without official proclamation. What crime did Anna commit? Unless we unite, we will be imposed by a defective Lokpal which protects corruption. We now need solutions not statements of intentions," Bedi said.

Hazare said leaders like Kejriwal, Bedi, Prashant Bhushan, Manish Sisodia, Arvind Gaud, PV Rajgopal, Shanti Bhusan and Akhil Gogoi will lead the agitation.

Bedi alleged "somebody else" is behind the police action as the force is capable enough to handle such peaceful protests.

"This has not been done by Delhi Police, somebody else else is behind it. Delhi Police is capable enough to handle such peaceful protests," she said. "When Anna asked the police about his crime, police said they were following orders," Bedi added.

On detention of Hazare, she said there is not much difference between detention and arrest.

"What is the difference between detention and arrest? There's no difference. When you are detained that means you are temporarily arrested and when your freedom is curbed, that is arrest," she said.