Anna Hazare today launched his protest fast at the historic Ramlila Maidan giving indications that it will be a prolonged one when he declared that he will not quit the venue till the Jan Lokpal bill is brought.
"We will not leave this ground till the Jan Lokpal Bill is brought," he declared from Ramlila Maidan, the venue of his campaign, after he came out of Tihar Jail and made a three- hour drive from the prison where he spent three nights.
On the fourth day of his fast, the 73-year-old Gandhian looked totally fit when he ran a short distance in Rajghat to escape from rain though he had lost three kg of weight since Tuesday. He came out of the jail this morning after reaching an agreement with government for holding his hunger strike for 15 days.
Both outside Tihar Jail and at Ramlila Maidan, he made a brief address to his supporters in which he said that the second freedom struggle has started for liberating India from corruption.
"There was a revolution in 1942 because of which the British had to quit India. But the loot and rowdyism have not stopped. That is why the second freedom struggle has begun.
"Do not allow this torch of struggle to be put out whether Anna is alive or not," he told the cheering crowd at the spacious Ramlila Maidan.
After refusing to come out of Tihar Jail despite unconditional release on Tuesday and some hard bargaining, he extracted from authorities permission to hold his protest for 15 days from the 25,000 capacity ground instead of J P Park.
Police had initially given permission to Hazare to hold the fast for three days from August 16 in JP Park with a crowd restriction of 5,000.
Anna finally comes out, scene shifts to Ramlila ground
After spending 63 hours in Tihar jail, Anna Hazare finally came out on Friday morning, and will now proceed to the Ramlila ground to continue his fast.
As he came out at 11.45 am, a large crowd of supporters, waving tricolours, greeted him with slogan shouting. Hazare addressed a large crowd of supporters, urging them to continue fighting "kaale angrez". After a short address, he said he would now address them only at the Ramlila grounds.
It was on Tuesday morning when he as promised launched his fast protest and the police swooped down, detaining him and his supporters. He was later in the day taken to Tihar. Though 'released' by the end of the day, the 73-year-old Gandhian refused to come out till he was allowed to protest to press his demand for the condieration of the Jan Lokpal bill. While the government continued to put one condition after another for the next stage of protest, the willy Hazare got his way. Meanwhile, thousans of people continued to gather outside the jail as well as at the India Gate -- as also in many cities across the country -- to show solidarity to the anti-corruption crusader.
Hazare comes out of Tihar, heads to Ramlila Maidan
PTI
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare came out of Tihar Jail today to launch a fortnight-long protest demanding a strong Lokpal bill declaring that the fight against graft will continue whether he was "alive or not".
Looking fit on his fourth day of fast, the 73-year old Gandhian came out of the jail premises and made a brief address to the waiting supporters that the "second freedom struggle" has started.
"We got freedom in 1947. Now the second freedom struggle has begun on August 16. A revolution has started. The fight against corruption will continue whether I am alive or not," he said as the hundreds of supporters waiting for him since early morning cheered and clapped.
Escorted by police officials, Hazare came out and mounted a small podium erected just outside one of the gates of the prison that was his home for over 67 hours. He had refused to come out of the jail on Tuesday despite government ordering his unconditional release after his arrest in the morning to foil his indefinite hunger strike.
In the short speech, he declared that his campaign was aimed at making the country corruption-free.
Before getting on to a mini-truck heading a procession for a short distance, he appealed to his supporters not to indulge in violence or damage public property.
Flanked by his aides Arvind Kejriwal and Suresh Pathare, the Gandhian also invited them to join his protest that he would begin from the historic Ramlila grounds.
Greeted by rains, the procession made a slow progress as Anna waved to his supporters on his way towards Rajghat where he will pay obeisance to Mahatma Gandhi before proceeding to Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate. From there he will go to Ramlila ground, the protest venue.
PTI TEXT
Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare came out of Tihar Jail today to launch a fortnight-long protest demanding a strong Lokpal bill declaring that the fight against graft will continue whether he was "alive or not".
Looking fit on his fourth day of fast, the 73-year old Gandhian came out of the jail premises and made a brief address to the waiting supporters that the "second freedom struggle" has started.
"We got freedom in 1947. Now the second freedom struggle has begun on August 16. A revolution has started. The fight against corruption will continue whether I am alive or not," he said as the hundreds of supporters waiting for him since early morning cheered and clapped.
Escorted by police officials, Hazare came out and mounted a small podium erected just outside one of the gates of the prison that was his home for over 67 hours. He had refused to come out of the jail on Tuesday despite government ordering his unconditional release after his arrest in the morning to foil his indefinite hunger strike.
In the short speech, he declared that his campaign was aimed at making the country corruption-free.
Before getting on to a mini-truck heading a procession for a short distance, he appealed to his supporters not to indulge in violence or damage public property.
Flanked by his aides Arvind Kejriwal and Suresh Pathare, the Gandhian also invited them to join his protest that he would begin from the historic Ramlila grounds.
Greeted by rains, the procession made a slow progress as Anna waved to his supporters on his way towards Rajghat where he will pay obeisance to Mahatma Gandhi before proceeding to Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate. From there he will go to Ramlila ground, the protest venue.
