BHUBANESWAR: Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare’s campaign against the UPA Government on the issue of the Jan Lokpal Bill has spilled onto the streets of Bhubaneswar too. Responding to Hazare’s call to fill jails as part of his campaign against corruption and demand for a strong Lokpal Bill, 18 of his supporters here courted arrest on Tuesday evening, while protests against his arrest gathered momentum across the city. Earlier in the morning, people from all walks of life held fast and demonstrations at different places in Bhubaneswar to protest arrest and subsequent jailing of the 74-year-old anti-corruption crusader. Carrying placards, scores of people raised slogans at the Lower PMG square here, supporting Hazare’s anti-corruption campaign and condemning the Government for ‘anti-democratic’ measures. Senior citizens, lawyers, social activists and students took out a candlelight march from the BJB College to the PMG square. The protesters alleged that the arrest of Gandhian Anna Hazare and others is an “undemocratic step” of the UPA Government. “Why in a democratic country like ours, an elderly person like Anna has been denied to stage an agitation and that too against the burning issue of corruption? We stand by Anna and will do whatever is needed to root out corruption,” said Akash Dasnayak, Ollywood actor who also participated in the demonstration. Activists of India Against Corruption, the umbrella body of the citizen’s movement fighting for strong Lokpal, said padayatras and Jail Bharo Andolan would be organised daily till August 22 for the cause. Demanding a strong and effective Jan Lokpal bill, activists said their agitation would continue till release of Anna and others. A number of youths also staged a hunger strike under the banner of ‘Orissa Against Corruption’ expressing solidarity with Hazare. “We condemn the jailing of Hazare. The crackdown reminds one of the colonial rule. But his campaign cannot be suppressed through this undemocratic action as people across the country support him,” Bhagwan Das, an activist said. Besides, activists of Orissa Durniti Sangharsa Mancha and Jan Manch took out a rally through the main streets of the city protesting the police action. Wearing Gandhi-caps, with ‘I Am Anna Hazare’ written on it and shouting anti-UPA slogans, hundreds of people, including senior citizens and freedom fighters participated in the rally. Similar demonstrations and hunger strikes were reported from several parts of the State.
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