ID :
201753
Tue, 08/16/2011 - 22:30
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/201753
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Hazare, associates arrested; lodged in Tihar Jail
New Delhi, Aug 16 (PTI) Anna Hazare and his close
associates were arrested on Tuesday and lodged in Tihar Jail
here after police foiled his plans to go on an indefinite
fast, prompting strong denunciation by opposition parties and
detention of thousands of his supporters across India.
Delhi Police descended at the flat in an apartment
in east Delhi's Mayur Vihar early in the morning and picked
73-year-old Hazare and seven aides, including Arvind Kejriwal,
up at 7.30 am as they planned to violate prohibitory orders
and go ahead with the fast demanding a "strong" Lokpal.
They were charged under Sections 107 and 151 of CrPC
dealing with preventive arrest after police believed that they
were about to commit cognizable crimes when they refused to
heed to Delhi Police's request not to go ahead with the
protest as it would be in violation of prohibitory orders.
After some high-drama of shifting the arrested from a
police officer's mess to a police station, the Gandhian and
his associates were remanded to judicial custody for seven
days after they refused to give a personal bond that they
would not violate prohibitory orders and hold protests.
Hazare along with his three supporters have been kept in
new admission ward of Jail number four while Kejriwal, a
former IRS officer, and three others have been kept in Jail
number one.
Two other prominent activists Kiran Bedi and noted lawyer
Shanti Bhushan, who were detained under Delhi Police Act for
apprehension of breach of peace, were released in the evening.
More than 1,500 activists were detained in Delhi when
they hit the streets in support of Hazare while in Mumbai,
over 1,000 were held and hundreds of others in cities across
the country.
Hazare, who is campaigning Lokpal that will cover Prime
Minister, higher judiciary and MPs conduct inside Parliament
among others, went on fast in the prison taking only water,
sources close to him said.
Opposition parties closed ranks, disrupted both the
Houses of Parliament, attacking the government action as
"murder of democracy" and a throw-back to the days of
emergency.
The BJP, Left parties and others met to demand a
statement from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue when
Parliament meets tomorrow.
Government fielded an array of ministers led by Home
Minister P Chidambaram before the media and rejected the
criticism of its action.
Chidambaram strongly defended the arrest saying the Delhi
Police came to a conclusion that he and his supporters would
commit a "cognisable offence" by defying prohibitory orders.
"This is not a pleasant task and none of us is happy
trying to explain the circumstances under which certain events
have taken place. It is a painful duty and we are performing
it with the seriousness it deserves," he told reporters.
Government was at its pains to say right to protest is a
Constitutional right but it must be exercised under certain
reasonable conditions.
Chidambaram said Lokpal is not a panacea for corruption
but on of the answers to deal with the menace and government
was against Hazare Team's attitude of "my bill or no bill".
Hazare and his aides were first taken to the Delhi Police
Officers' Mess in North Delhi and were shifted to another
after Hazare's supporters gathered in a large numbers at the
Civil Lines areas.
The social activist was later taken to Rajouri Garden
police station in West Delhi where a Special Executive
Magistrate remanded him to 7 days' judicial custody.
The decision to remand him came after Hazare refused to
sign a personal bond undertaking that he will not defy the
prohibitory orders and hold protests.
Hundreds of supporters gathered outside Tihar jail after
Hazare and his associates were taken inside the prison.
Shortly after Hazare's arrest, his campaigner Prashant
Bhushan announced a series of agitational programmes,
including a march from India Gate to Parliament tomorrow
evening and protest by supporters in Delhi streets.
He also called upon government employees to go on mass
leave tomorrow to show solidarity with Hazare. However,
Chidambaram expressed the hope that government servants will
not heed to the "wrong call" of mass leave given by Team Anna.
Noting that Delhi Police was ready to release Hazare on a
personal bond if he gave an undertaking that he will not defy
prohibitory orders, Delhi Police Commissioner B K Gupta said
the Gandhian refused to do so.
He said they had initially suggested that Hazare hold
his protest at Sadbhavana Park which has a capacity to
accomodate around 15-20,000 people.
"According to our intelligence reports, 15-20,000 people
were to gather for the protest and we suggested that he stage
his protest there but Delhi High Court had banned any protest
there. It was then that we suggested Jai Prakash Narain Park,"
he said.
associates were arrested on Tuesday and lodged in Tihar Jail
here after police foiled his plans to go on an indefinite
fast, prompting strong denunciation by opposition parties and
detention of thousands of his supporters across India.
Delhi Police descended at the flat in an apartment
in east Delhi's Mayur Vihar early in the morning and picked
73-year-old Hazare and seven aides, including Arvind Kejriwal,
up at 7.30 am as they planned to violate prohibitory orders
and go ahead with the fast demanding a "strong" Lokpal.
They were charged under Sections 107 and 151 of CrPC
dealing with preventive arrest after police believed that they
were about to commit cognizable crimes when they refused to
heed to Delhi Police's request not to go ahead with the
protest as it would be in violation of prohibitory orders.
After some high-drama of shifting the arrested from a
police officer's mess to a police station, the Gandhian and
his associates were remanded to judicial custody for seven
days after they refused to give a personal bond that they
would not violate prohibitory orders and hold protests.
Hazare along with his three supporters have been kept in
new admission ward of Jail number four while Kejriwal, a
former IRS officer, and three others have been kept in Jail
number one.
Two other prominent activists Kiran Bedi and noted lawyer
Shanti Bhushan, who were detained under Delhi Police Act for
apprehension of breach of peace, were released in the evening.
More than 1,500 activists were detained in Delhi when
they hit the streets in support of Hazare while in Mumbai,
over 1,000 were held and hundreds of others in cities across
the country.
Hazare, who is campaigning Lokpal that will cover Prime
Minister, higher judiciary and MPs conduct inside Parliament
among others, went on fast in the prison taking only water,
sources close to him said.
Opposition parties closed ranks, disrupted both the
Houses of Parliament, attacking the government action as
"murder of democracy" and a throw-back to the days of
emergency.
The BJP, Left parties and others met to demand a
statement from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue when
Parliament meets tomorrow.
Government fielded an array of ministers led by Home
Minister P Chidambaram before the media and rejected the
criticism of its action.
Chidambaram strongly defended the arrest saying the Delhi
Police came to a conclusion that he and his supporters would
commit a "cognisable offence" by defying prohibitory orders.
"This is not a pleasant task and none of us is happy
trying to explain the circumstances under which certain events
have taken place. It is a painful duty and we are performing
it with the seriousness it deserves," he told reporters.
Government was at its pains to say right to protest is a
Constitutional right but it must be exercised under certain
reasonable conditions.
Chidambaram said Lokpal is not a panacea for corruption
but on of the answers to deal with the menace and government
was against Hazare Team's attitude of "my bill or no bill".
Hazare and his aides were first taken to the Delhi Police
Officers' Mess in North Delhi and were shifted to another
after Hazare's supporters gathered in a large numbers at the
Civil Lines areas.
The social activist was later taken to Rajouri Garden
police station in West Delhi where a Special Executive
Magistrate remanded him to 7 days' judicial custody.
The decision to remand him came after Hazare refused to
sign a personal bond undertaking that he will not defy the
prohibitory orders and hold protests.
Hundreds of supporters gathered outside Tihar jail after
Hazare and his associates were taken inside the prison.
Shortly after Hazare's arrest, his campaigner Prashant
Bhushan announced a series of agitational programmes,
including a march from India Gate to Parliament tomorrow
evening and protest by supporters in Delhi streets.
He also called upon government employees to go on mass
leave tomorrow to show solidarity with Hazare. However,
Chidambaram expressed the hope that government servants will
not heed to the "wrong call" of mass leave given by Team Anna.
Noting that Delhi Police was ready to release Hazare on a
personal bond if he gave an undertaking that he will not defy
prohibitory orders, Delhi Police Commissioner B K Gupta said
the Gandhian refused to do so.
He said they had initially suggested that Hazare hold
his protest at Sadbhavana Park which has a capacity to
accomodate around 15-20,000 people.
"According to our intelligence reports, 15-20,000 people
were to gather for the protest and we suggested that he stage
his protest there but Delhi High Court had banned any protest
there. It was then that we suggested Jai Prakash Narain Park,"
he said.
