Hours before he was to launch his fast against corruption, Anna Hazare was today detained by Delhi Police here preventing him from going ahead with his protest. Two other prominent activists Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Manish Sisodia were also taken into preventive custody, Delhi Police said. Bedi was held at Rajghat. Reports say Shanti Bhushan too has been taken into preventive custody.
Anna called his detention as the beginning of the "second freedom struggle" and asked people to participate in a "jail bharo" agitation. Read full story | Watch video
The 73-year-old Gandhian was taken into custody from Supreme Enclave in Mayur Vihar, Phase-I before he was to proceed to the venue of his fast in J P Park where prohibitory orders are in place.
According to sources, senior police officials, including DCP (Crime) Ashok Chand, met with Hazare this morning at his apartment where he was staying in a bid to convince him to not go ahead with his planned protest defying prohibitory orders at JP Park.
However, Hazare turned down the request and told police that he will "defy orders" following which he was detained.
"We have detained him as he did not budge from his position of defying prohibitory orders," police official said.
Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi were also detained. Bedi was detained from Raj Ghat.
Flaying the police move, Bedi said, "Emergency has revisited the country."
"This detention is undemocratic and unconstitutional," she said.
Prohibitory orders have been clamped from MG Marg, Raj Ghat to Guru Nanak Chowk.
Around 500 supporters were with Anna at the time of his detention.
Civil Society core team member Prashant Bhushan denounced government's move calling it undemocratic and said that he would approach court today.
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.
Ahead of the proposed fast by the Gandhian, a group of people had thronged the east Delhi apartment where Hazare was staying to pledge their support to his protest.
