Strong anti-politician sentiment among the social activists marked the second day of the fast-unto-death of Anna Hazare at Jantar Mantar, who has been demanding a Jan Lokpal Bill to be drafted with the participation of the civil society to be passed by the Parliament.
INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala, BJP leader Madan Lal Khurana, Uma Bharti and RLD chief Ajit Singh had to beat hasty retreat when they came to meet Mr Hazare on Wednesday.
The political leaders were in for a rude shock as the followers of Mr Hazare mobbed them as soon as they came to meet at Jantar Mantar along with their supporters. The social activists raised slogans against the political leaders asking them to go, with all of them saying a clear no to the presence of the leaders from the political parties in their agitation against corruption.
Repeated pleas by the close aids of Mr Hazare that these leaders be at least heard as they are the ones would pass the law in Parliament eventually proved futile. Gauging the sentiment, Mr Hazare later told his supporters that his agitation is based on the principle of non-violence and there should not be hatred against individuals but the system.
Earlier in the day, Mr Hazare’s letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was read out to the supporters and after they approved the content, it was faxed to the Prime Minister’s Office. In the evening the supporters of Mr Hazare brought out a candle march from India Gate to Jantar Mantar in support of their demand for Jan Lokpal Bill.
Further in the evening, the Asmita theatre group staged play at Jantar Mantar to portray corruption in the system. The swelling support for Mr Hazare could be seen at Jantar Mantar as 75 people were sitting on fast on Wednesday afternoon. The gathered supporters cheered when it was announced that actor Amir Khan has also written a letter to the Prime Minister in support of the Jan Lokpal Bill. Loud cheers were heard when it was announced that the journalists too would be sitting on fast for one day at Jantar Mantar. A group of about 300 school teachers of the Delhi government too joined the agitation. The services of these teachers were reportedly terminated by the city government on March 31.