New Delhi, July 28 (IBNS): Around 50 supporters of veteran corruption crusader Anna Hazare were detained by police on Saturday after they launched a protest in front of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s residence in New Delhi.
Shouting slogans and holding placards and banners that targeted the government and the Prime Minister for purportedly not taking concrete steps towards tackling corruption and delaying the anti-graft Lokpal Bill, the protesters had assembled outside 7 Race Course Road.
They also took on Singh for his alleged role in irregularities in coal mining blocks that have reportedly lost the country crores of rupees in lost revenue.
According to some media reports, the protesters took the police stationed there by surprise as they launched their protest unannounced.
They created a ruckus as they threw pamphlets in the air, while some of them climbed the outer gate and pelted pieces of coal inside before being detained by security.
Some of the protesters reportedly even lay in the middle of the road, blocking traffic but were swiftly removed by police.
Police detained 40 men and six women after the incident.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday was in Assam to visit the ethnic-violence struck district Kokrajhar.
Meanwhile, social activist Anna Hazare said he has respect for the post of President and would continue to hold Pranab Mukherjee the President in esteem.
While the latest round of agitation and hunger strikes by the Anna group have failed to ignite the people like before, the man himself said he has respect for Pranab Mukherjee, who has been attacked by his core group leaders like Arvind Kejriwal on charges of corruption.
He reiterated that the government is not serious enough to pass the Lokpal Bill and its aims are not honest.
Hazare and his supporters have launched an indefinite hunger strike in the national capital, to mount pressure on the embattled Congress-led coalition government to introduce a strong Lokpal Bill but their campaign been plagued by weak attendance.
