Anna Hazare received a rousing welcome as he returned to Pune from New Delhi on Monday.
Greeted by a large number of supporters, he immediately left for Ralegan Siddhi, his native place, in Ahmednagar district.
People of Ralegan Siddhi had made preparations to welcome Mr. Hazare.
The Maharashtrian New Year, Gudi Padwa, was celebrated on Monday as the people of the village staged a protest on April 4 to express their solidarity with Mr. Hazare who was on a fast.
“I had promised this village that I will not return without achieving my goal, and we have done it,” he told a large gathering at Ralegan Siddhi.
“This is the motto of my life, I will live and die for the benefit of society,” he said.
“I am still wondering how the movement really happened,” he said, and added that he did not expect such a positive response from people across the country.
He thanked the people for their support because of which “the government shook.”
He expressed confidence that the Lokpal Bill would give a new direction to the country.
“There is a long way to go after this. The movement has just started,” Mr. Hazare said.
