In an early morning crackdown, Anna Hazare and his close aides were detained by police after the Gandhian vowed to go ahead with his fast for a strong Lokpal and defy prohibitory orders at the venue of his agitation.

High drama was witnessed in Mayur Vihar area in east Delhi when police detained the 73-year-old Hazare at about 7:30 am from an apartment about three hours before he was to sit on his agitation. A large number of supporters opposed the action and shouted slogans supporting him.

Home secretary R K Singh said Hazare was detained because he said he intended to defy prohibitory orders and sit on fast at J P Park in central Delhi. Delhi Police had denied permission for his fast after he refused to abide by all the 22 conditions set by them for the agitation.

Hazare's close aides Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal were detained outside Rajghat. Lawyer Shanti Bhushan was also picked up.

"We will move the supreme court," Prashant Bhushan, lawyer and close associate of Hazare, told PTI.

Describing his detention by police as the beginning of the "second freedom struggle", Hazare asked people to participate in a "jail bharo" agitation.

"My dear countrymen, second freedom struggle has begun and now I have also been arrested. But will this movement be stopped by my arrest. No not at all. Don't let it happen," Hazare said in a pre-recorded message.

Police had made elaborate arrangements and stationed several buses and trucks in Mayur Vihar, Rajghat and other places to ferry Hazare's supporters.

Senior BJP leader L K Advani said he was not surprised at the detention of Hazare and charged the government with looking for scapegoats and stopping peaceful protests instead of fighting corruption.

Eartlier report:

Hours before he was to launch his fast against corruption, Anna Hazare was on Tuesday detained by Delhi Police here preventing him from going ahead with his protest.

Two other prominent activists Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi were also taken into preventing custody at Rajghat, Delhi Police said.

The 73-year-old Gandhian was taken into custody from a residential area in Mayur Vihar 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 an east Delhi apartment where he was staying in a bid to convince him to not go ahead with his planned protest defying prohibitory orders at J P Park.

However, Hazare turn 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.

Flaying the police move, Bedi said, "Emergency has revisited the country."

"This detention is undemocratic and unconstitutional," she said.

Around 500 supporters were with Anna at the time of his detention.

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.

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.

Hazare had yesterday asked his supporters to fill up jails across the country if he was arrested after being denied permission to hold fast here.

After prime minister Manmohan Singh slammed him for resorting to fast as a protest when parliament was seized of the Lokpal bill, the Gandhian had said he will go to J P park despite Delhi police imposing prohibitory orders.

"I come to understand that I will be refused permission. We will go there. If I am arrested, I will continue my hunger strike in jail. If I am released, I will go back to the venue and this circle will continue," he had said.

He said once he is arrested, people should fill up the jails in every village across the country. "Going to jail for the country is no crime...It is a decoration," he said.

Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat had said that prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC has been imposed in some areas of Daryaganj and IP police stations, which include Jai Prakash Narain Park and Shaheed Park.

Hazare had also accused the prime minister of "speaking" the language of his ministerial colleague Kapil Sibal, saying the lokpal bill was before parliament which will take the call.

People throng at Hazare's flat ahead of protest

A group of people today thronged an east Delhi apartment where Anna Hazare is staying to pledge their support ahead of his protest demanding a strong Lokpal, even as police deployed a large number of personnel to ensure law and order in the city.

The 73-year-old social activist, who is staying at Supreme Enclave, is planning to stage an indefinite fast at Jai Prakash Narain Park, near Feroj Shah Kotla Stadium, where prohibitory orders have been imposed

Around 500 police personnel have been deployed from early morning itself after the city police imposed Section 144 around the park.

A group of people gathered outside Hazare's apartment, shouting slogans in favour of the Gandhian.

Security personnel, including some in plain clothes and some from the special branch, were deployed around the apartment premise.

Meanwhile, senior police officials, including DCP (Crime) Ashok Chand, met with Hazare this morning in a bid to convince him to not go ahead with his planned protest defying prohibitory orders.

Bedi alleged "somebody else" is behind the police action as the force is capable enough to handle such peaceful protests.

"This has not been done by Delhi Police, somebody else is behind it. Delhi Police is capable enough to handle such peaceful protests," she said. "When Anna asked the police about his crime, police said they were following orders," Bedi added.

On detention of Hazare, she said there is not much difference between detention and arrest.

"What is the difference between detention and arrest? There's no difference. When you are detained that means you are temporarily arrested and when your freedom is curbed, that is arrest," she said.