India against corruption: How Anna mobilised India

Despite being  freed by the authorities, Anna Hazare spent the night in Tihar Jail refusing to come out insisting on an unconditional release and permission to launch his fast at Jai Prakash Narain Park.

He was offered  release on Tuesday night after the Delhi Police issued warrants of release for him and seven of his associates, almost 13 hours after they were picked up from  a flat in Mayur Vihar in east Delhi on Tuesday morning and remanded to seven days judicial custody.

With Anna inside, his supporters congregated outside Tihar jail, spending the night singing and dancing.

Shouting anti-corruption slogans and holding the national tricolour, people started pouring in from early hours of the day and joined others who were standing outside the jail premises through the night.

Ashwaq, a 38-year-old businessman, said: “I am fasting with Anna and other supporters since yesterday. I will continue my fast till Anna is freed from the jail and all his demands are accepted by the government.”

Morning walkers also joined the supporters demanding that the Government release Anna Hazare and his supporters.

Rakesh, a student, said “I am fasting with Anna for the bill and to uproot corruption from the country”.

Overnight Tihar jail became the new Jantar Mantar for Team Anna and a protest venue for thousands of Anna supporters.

Meanwhile, additional security personnel were deployed outside the Tihar Jail, where hundreds of Hazare’s supporters are camping.

Around 30 police personnel in riot gear were deployed early this morning at the main gate outside the office of Director-General of Tihar prisons.

Watch video:Many of the protestors sang patriotic numbers to show their solidarity outside the jail complex.

Thousands  took to streets in Anna Hazare’s home state Maharashtra to protest his detention ahead of his proposed indefinite fast in Delhi for a strong Lokpal Bill.

People in his native village Ralegan Siddhi gathered at the traffic intersection and blocked traffic, including some state transport buses. A large number of supporters poured into the sprawling Azad Maidan in South Mumbai to express solidarity with the anti-corruption movement which was led by social activist   Medha Patkar  in Mumbai.

“The government can go to any level to curb our protest against corruption,” said Mayank Gandhi, Mumbai unit in-charge of India Against Corruption (IAC).

People also courted arrest in metropolis and other parts of the state. Carrying placards, scores of people in Pune raised slogans supporting the anti-graft campaign and condemning the government for “anti-democratic” measures.

In Nagpur, a large number of people, sporting ‘Gandhi’ caps with slogans ‘I am Anna’, courted arrest at the RBI Square in Civil Lines. In Nashik, a rally was taken out in which social workers, freedom fighters, youth and prominent personalities participated amid tight police security.

Rallies and protests were also reported from Kolhapur, Yavatmal and other parts of the state.

Anna Hazare detention also  galvanised a vocal online community who rushed to his support.The Facebook group of the Mumbai chapter of the “India against corruption” movement to which Anna belongs,urged people to change their profile pictures to plain black squares as a means of protesting the government decision to take Anna Hazare into preventive custody before he left for Rajghat to begin his fast.

This morning, sources said, Hazare got up at around 5.00 AM and was involved in a discussion with Kejriwal and his other associates who are in the prison along with him.

Agencies