Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) Around 50 Team Anna supporters, including six women, took security personnel by surprise as they suddenly turned up to protest outside Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s official residence, 7 Race Course Road, Saturday. All have been detained, said police.

“We have detained 40 men and six women. The incident took place at around 6 p.m.,” said a police official.

Holding placards and banners against the government and the prime minister and shouting slogans, the crowd protested against the coal block allocation during the period Manmohan Singh held the coal portfolio. They also demanded a strong Jan Lokpal bill.

The protesters took the police by surprise by suddenly appearing in the high security area. They created a ruckus as they threw pamphlets in the air, while some of them climbed the outer gate and pelted pieces of coal inside but were swiftly pulled down by the security personnel.

Some of them lay in the middle of the road and blocked traffic for several minutes as police dragged them into waiting police vehicles.

“We have got some reports that some supporters have gone to 7, RCR to protest against Manmohan Singh’s involvement in coal block allocation,” a Team Anna member told IANS.

Team Anna has alleged that the prime minister was directly responsible for giving away coal blocks to unknown companies at throwaway prices between 2006 and 2009 when he headed the coal ministry.

“According to our reports, the protesters carried pieces of coal with them, but we have received no reports of stone pelting,” the member said.

According to a police official, the protesters were taken to the nearby Chanakyapuri police station in south Delhi.