Hazare, close aides detained by police ahead of protest fast

New Delhi, Aug 16 (PTI) In an early morning crackdown,
Anna Hazare and his close aides were detained by police after
the Gandhian vowed to go ahead with his fast for a strong
Lokpal (anti corruption ombudsman) and defy prohibitory orders
at the venue of his agitation.
High drama was witnessed in Mayur Vihar area in east
Delhi when police detained the 73-year-old Hazare at about
7:30 am (IST) from an apartment about three hours before he
was to sit on his agitation. A large number of supporters
opposed the action and shouted slogans supporting him.
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.
"We will move the Supreme Court," Prashant Bhushan,
lawyer and close associate of Hazare, told PTI.
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.
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 with 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 turn down the request following which he
was detained.
"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.