Over 100 supporters of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare, who converged outside Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s 7 Race Course Road residence here on Saturday demanding a strong Lokpal Bill, were detained by the police.
There was high drama outside Dr. Singh’s residence around 6.15 p.m. when the protesters gathered there armed with charcoal pieces and raised slogans in support of Mr. Hazare. They started pelting the security personnel deployed outside 7 Race Course Road with charcoal pieces when they tried to remove them. Some protesters tried to scale the boundary wall and iron gates, while some scribbled slogans on the road and the wall.
Extra forces had to be called in.
It is learnt that the protesters were at the Jantar Mantar venue of the indefinite fast by Team Anna members Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai when they decided to hold a demonstration outside the Prime Minister’s residence.
“We had not given a call for such a demonstration and it was not organised by us. It was spontaneous,” said a Team Anna member.
In all, 93 men and eight women were bundled into police vehicles and whisked away to the Tughlak Road police station. “They have not been arrested yet. We are examining the matter,” said a police officer.
