Anna Hazare on Sunday returned to Jantar Mantar in Delhi again to sit on a token huger starike, this time protesting against the "deaf and dumb" government which is "not doing anything" to protect whistleblowers fighting corruption.

Hazare, after his usual visit to Rajghat before any such protest in Delhi, came to Jantar Mantar around 11 am to loud cheers from tricolour-wielding anti-corruption supporters and chants of 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'.

It being a Sunday, people cutting across class barriers came out to show solidarity with him. The daylong protest had all its usual ingredients with almost 2,000 people assembled at the venue much before Anna Hazare arrived, after his visit to Rajghat. The fast venue saw people pouring in to the fast venue and blocking all the ways to the Jantar Mantar road well half an hour before the commencement of the fast, which was scheduled at 11 am. The venue had patriotic songs and slogans filling the air to increase people’s enthusiasm. The mood was same old yet very fresh with people waving the tricolour and participating in shouting slogans. By lunchtime, several people who were unable to find a good spot inside the venue, had scaled up the walls and soon enough, even the walls were full.

Family members of some of the whistleblowers who were killed while fighting corruption, including that of IPS officer Narendra Kumar murdered allegedly by mining mafia in Madhya Pradesh, were also present.

According to team Anna, 15 people have been killed since 2010 for raising their voice against corruption. Father and uncle of IPS officer Narendra Kumar, killed by the mining mafia in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh recently, came to participate in the fast with Anna. Family of Satyendra Dubey, who was killed after raising his voice against corruption in the National highway Authority of India, was also present.

Referring to them, Anna Hazare said many people have sacrificed their lives while fighting corruption and the government has not conducted any probe despite some incidents which happened three years ago.

“Their (whistleblowers') mothers, their children, their fathers, their wives are crying for justice. But this government has gone dumb and deaf. It is not listening to the cries of people. There will be a big struggle. Then the government will listen. The government came up with MNREGA but these people were killed for trying to improve it," Hazare told reporters.

According to Team Anna, these people would not have lost their lives had there been a Lokpal and Whistleblowers’ bill in place. The team openly named P Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal. They have warned the government of coming back with a bigger movement.

Participants sounded upbeat and said that they came out to show the government that the agitation is not over and that nobody fears death. “We are concerned about the families of the victims. Even when the cases are out, why the government isn’t extending any help to the families?’ asked Dhirendra Kumar, a student of IIT Delhi.

“Justice must be delivered to the families of the whistleblowers. Protection to the lives of people will ensure more rising voices against the corruption and misgovernance. We are here standing with these families in their suffering to warn the government that it should better watch out, either pass the Jan Lokapal and whistleblowers bills or go in the coming general election,” said Priyanshi Mahato of Delhi University.

Former Karnataka Lokayukta and Team Anna member Santosh Hegde, who had expressed some reservations with regard to the Team recently, was present along with other members like Shanti Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Manish Sisodia.