New Delhi, June 8: Around 500 policemen were deployed in and around Rajghat in the capital Wednesday as thousands of people joined veteran Gandhian Anna Hazare in his day-long fast against police action on yoga guru Baba Ramdev, police said.
“We have deployed around 500 police personnel and four body scanners have been installed. Match boxes, cigarettes are not allowed inside the premises of the fast area,” Joint Commissioner of Police, Security (Law and Order), Subir Yadav told IANS.
Yadav also said that Delhi Police Commissioner B.K Gupta was reviewing the arrangements on site.
The day-long fast by Hazare and his supporters is in protest against the police crackdown on Baba Ramdev and his supporters at Ramlila Maidan on the early morning of June 5.
“After a camp held by yoga icon Baba Ramdev ended in disaster over the weekend, we are not taking any risk. We have deployed heavy security and another 500 police personnel are kept in reserve to tackle any untoward incident like June 5,” a senior police officer said.
The 72-year-old activist began his token fast at Rajghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, at 10 a.m. It will go on till 6 p.m.
–IANS