Onkar Singh in New Delhi
Activist Anna Hazare was on Tuesday detained by Delhi Police ahead of his scheduled fast at the Jai Prakash Narain Park in the city. Also detained were Arvind Kejriwal and other supporters.
The police action prompted protests against the government and the police. Reacting to the Delhi Police action, former IPS officer and social activist Kiran Bedi said: "I have been saying that the Delhi Police is being given directions. He has been taken into preventive custody even when he has not broken any law. Emergency has revisited the country. This detention is unconstitutional and undemocratic."
Since early morning, a group of people had thronged an east Delhi apartment where Anna Hazare was staying to pledge their support ahead of his protest demanding a strong Lokpal.
The 74-year-old social activist, who is staying at Supreme Enclave, was planning to stage an indefinite fast at Jai Prakash Narain Park, near Feroj Shah Kotla Stadium, where prohibitory orders have been imposed.
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Police detain Anna from his house; protests erupt
Home Secretary R K Singh said Hazare was detained because he said he intended to defy prohibitory orders and sit on fast at J P Park in central Delhi. Delhi Police had denied permission for his fast after he refused to abide by all the 22 conditions set by them for the agitation.
Hazare's close aides Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal were detained outside Rajghat. Lawyer Shanti Bhushan was also picked up.
Describing his detention by police as the beginning of the "second freedom struggle", Hazare asked people to participate in a "jail bharo" agitation.
"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.
Police had made elaborate arrangements and stationed several buses and trucks in Mayur Vihar, Rajghat and other places to ferry Hazare's supporters.
Police detain Anna from his house; protests erupt
Senior BJP leader L K Advani said he was not surprised at the detention of Hazare and charged the government with looking for scapegoats and stopping peaceful protests instead of fighting corruption.
"I am not surprised at this development. This is the direction in which this government is moving. Instead of dealing with the problem of corruption and owning responsibility it is trying to find scapegoats and stopping peaceful protests," Advani said.
Flaying the police move, Bedi said, "Emergency has revisited the country. This detention is undemocratic and unconstitutional."
Around 500 supporters were with Anna at the time of his detention.
According to sources, senior police officials, including DCP (Crime) Ashok Chand, met Hazare this morning at the 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 J P Park.
However, Hazare turned down the request following which he was detained.
Police detain Anna from his house; protests erupt
"We have detained him as he did not budge from his position of defying prohibitory orders," police official said.
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.
Hazare said, "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," he said.
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 yesterday that he will go to J P park despite Delhi Police imposing prohibitory orders.
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.
Hazare had also 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.
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