New Delhi,August 17 :The growing TSUNAMI and countrywide protests against the arrest of Anna Hazare, who was sent to Tihar Jail on seven days’ judicial custody, the government did a u-turn and decided to release the Gandhian crusader hours after his incarceration.
Hazare was arrested on Tuesday morning, shortly before he was to undertake an indefinite fast to demand an all-new Lokpal Bill. He refused to accept the conditions set by the police and was arrested along with seven other associates.
However, on a day when few things went right for it in the handling of the issue, the government was confronted with another unexpected situation even after his release was finalised. Hazare refused to leave the jail till the Delhi Police took back the conditions for setting him free and allowed him to hold his protest fast on the Lokpal Bill at the Jayaprakash Narayan Park in the Capital. Meanwhile, he was on a fast inside the jail along with his associate Arvind Kejriwal.
Hundreds of Hazare’s supporters gathered outside Tihar Jail, where the 73-year-old Gandhian crusader was put in jail No. 4 that also houses Commonwealth Games accused Suresh Kalmadi and some 2G scam accused as well. They now plan to gherao the jail on Wednesday morning if Hazare continues to be in custody.
“We have released him but he is not breaking his fast nor is he leaving the premises. He says he won’t do so unless he’s allowed to protest,” said Neeraj Kumar, DG of Tihar Jail.
The government’s decision to release Hazare came in the wake of protests across the country – Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Pondicherry, Madhya Pradesh, UP, Gujarat and Karnataka. Former Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde led the protests in Bangalore. If the government and party managers were groping for an appropriate strategy to deal with Anna phenomenon since his first fast on April 4, they appear to have miscalculated the fallout from his arrest when there was palpable public anger on corruption. Sources said that what compounding the muddled government strategy on handling Hazare was the seven-day judicial remand at Tihar Jail.
“The spectre of an elderly man, who is not a criminal, being put behind bars for seven days for a technical violation (of rules) is likely to haunt the government and the party with its political opponents and sections of media playing it up,” said a Congress insider.
The government also slipped up on another issue – it had anticipated that Hazare and his associates would move the courts to get bail and the police conditions would be scrapped. This did not happen. Just as the large number of people, who had been mobilized to join the fast quickly changed tack to begin the protests against Hazare’s arrest, the Opposition too moved swiftly to close ranks and put the government on the mat on the issue.
Senior BJP and Left leaders, along with representatives of almost all non-UPA parties, huddled in an emergency meeting in the parliamentary chambers of Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj after proceedings in both Houses had been stalled in the wake of the police action against Team Anna.
The Opposition parties demanded that PM Manmohan Singh should make a statement in both Houses, explaining the reasons for arresting Hazare and his supporters on Tuesday. The social activist’s impending late night release from Tihar Jail seemed to have made little qualitative change in the Opposition’s stand.
THE meeting — attended by members from the CPM, CPI, Janata Dal- United, Samajwadi Party and RJD among others — decided that the Opposition wouldn’t boycott Parliament over the issue, and continue its protest against the government’s action till the PM came clear on the situation.
“The government’s action smacks of an undemocratic attitude inside and outside Parliament. The Speaker had allowed me to make a statement in the Lok Sabha at 11 am. But for the first time ever, the parliamentary affairs minister (P.K. Bansal) objected to the ruling and members from the treasury benches disrupted proceedings,” a fuming Swaraj said.
Through the day, there were signs that the government had been rattled by the developments and the countrywide protests against Hazare’s arrest. Soon after Parliament was adjourned for the day, Congress and government held a series of strategy meetings to discuss the fallout and chalk out a strategy to counter public perception on the Lokpal issue.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh convened a meeting of the cabinet committee on political affairs (CCPA) to discuss the issue. He had another meeting with senior leaders including Pranab Mukherjee, Rahul Gandhi, P. Chidambaram, A. K. Antony, Ahmed Patel to firm up a strategy to deal with the situation. Then, after the CCPA meeting, Rahul held a closed-door discussion with Mukherjee, Chidambaram and urban development minister Kamal Nath.
By contrast, within Tihar Jail, Hazare seemed to more in control of the situation around him. His associate Manish Sisodia, who had also been arrested, came out of jail upon his release around 10:30 pm. He told media persons that Hazare and Kejriwal were fasting inside the jail. “Anna has only one thing to ask. He wants the police to give him unconditional permission to fast at the JPN Park. He wants to go directly to JPN park to sit for the dharna once he is given the permission,” he said.
The release of Anna in no way absolves the govt of its illegality. The govt has rather bitten the dust — RAJIV PRATAP RUDY BJP spokesman
Anna’s arrest was an attack on democratic rights. It shows the Congress won’t tolerate any antigraft movement — BRINDA KARAT CPM leader
Dissent is the essence of democracy. This political leadership is hiding behind the police. It has tried to take away the right to dissent — ARUN JAITLEY BJP leader
Anna’s arrest was an attack on democratic rights. It shows the Congress won’t tolerate any antigraft movement — BRINDA KARAT CPM leader
CONG HITS OUT AT MEDIA
THREE top Congress ministers on Tuesday sniped at the media for not questioning Anna Hazare’s stand that only his version of the Lokpal Bill be made into law.
Union home minister P. Chidambaram, HRD minister Kapil Sibal and I& B minister Ambika Soni took turns to ask how the media could back Anna’s unreasonable demand. “ He ( Anna) says if Parliament and the government do not pass his law, he will go on a fast unto death. Is this reasonable in a democracy? This is an issue the media is not highlighting,” Sibal said.
AUTOS ON STRIKE TODAY
OVER 10,000 auto- rickshaws will remain off roads on Wednesday as an auto- rickshaw union has called for a day- long strike to protest against the arrest of anti- corruption crusader Anna Hazare.
“ All the auto drivers affiliated to our union have been asked to stay off roads tomorrow ( on Wednesday) to mark our protest, Rakesh Agarwal of NyayaBhoomi said. The union apparently has a membership of over 10,000 auto drivers.
“ Like all other citizens, auto drivers too are badly affected by corruption. And we condemn the way the government is trying to crush the anti- corruption movement led by Anna,” he said.
CALL FOR MASS LEAVE
SUPREME Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, angry at the way the Centre prevented Anna Hazare from going ahead with his fast on Tuesday, urged all government employees to go on mass leave on Wednesday and join the anti- corruption movement.
Bhushan announced a protest march from India Gate to Parliament on Wednesday. The march is scheduled at 4 pm. He also urged people to wear black bands on their arms.