Anna Hazare courted arrest after being detained by Delhi Police at his residence in Mayur Vihar ahead of his indefinite fast on Tuesday.
Senior officers of Delhi Police reached Anna Hazare's flat early in the morning and informed him that he could not leave his home. However, Hazare turned 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.
Anna in his addresses to the nation before his arrest asked his supporters not to stop the agitation. He urged the protesters to remain peaceful.
He added: "I appeal to you that let there be no violence in this movement. I also appeal to you, young and old alike, to give eight days of your life to the nation - if necessary for a jail bharo andolan."
Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Manish Sisodia were also taken into preventive custody by the Delhi Police.
"This is exactly what happened during emergency. Emergency has revisited the country. This detention is unconstitutional and undemocratic," said Kiran Bedi while courting arrest at Raj Ghat.
According to sources, Anna is being taken to Officers' mess, Civil Lines in Delhi.
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.
Security personnel, including some in plain clothes and some from the special branch, were deployed around the apartment premise.
Around 500 police personnel have been deployed from early morning itself after the city police imposed Section 144 around the park, police sources said.
Late Monday, at least 50 supporters of Anna Hazare were detained at Jai Prakash Narain Park, the venue of the anti-graft crusader's planned fast, for defying prohibitory orders clamped in the area.
Gandhian Anna Hazare was arrested Tuesday for refusing to abide by conditions imposed by police regarding his proposed hunger strike, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Tuesday.
He told reporters that when Delhi Police imposed certain conditions, Team Anna refused to embrace them.
"If someone says we will defy the orders, I think this is unacceptable in a democracy," he said. "It is a real regret that police have taken this action."
"This government is not against democratic or peaceful protests," he said. "Democratic or peaceful protests are a part of the right of a free citizen.
"We acknowledge that right but that right is subject to conditions laid down by authorities charged with the duty to maintain law and order."
The supporters of the Gandhian were taken in a police bus to a nearby police station, police said.
No comments:
Post a Comment