Thaindian News

Shimla, Aug 25 (IANS) Thirty-five supporters of Anna Hazare courted arrest here Thursday amid strong objections to union minister Virbhadra Singh’s comments against the fasting social activist.

“The supporters of Anna courted arrest,” a police official told IANS. “They mainly belonged to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).” They were later released without cases being registered.

There was ire over Singh’s remark. “India is a country of millions of people,” Singh told reporters during a visit to Mathura. “Anyone can instantly attract 50,000 people by just playing a ‘damru’.”

A massive protest was carried out at Karsog in Mandi district, Singh’s parliamentary constituency, and his comments were construed to mean that Hazare’s campaign was a “madari ka khel” or monkey show.

“We will not allow Virbhadra Singh to tour this part of his constituency,” Sheela Devi told reporters in Karsog, 120 km from Mandi town. “The peaceful protest was specifically called to express resentment against the union minister.”

Elsewhere in Himachal, people in large numbers continued to express solidarity with Hazare: candlelight processions were taken out in Shimla, Solan, Una, Kangra, Dharamsala, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Chamba towns.

A fast by 67-year-old Laxmi Chand Thakur, beneath the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the Ridge in Shimla, and former Public Works Department engineer Desh Raj Sharma in Mandi town continued Thursday for the ninth day.

Sharma, who was admitted to a hospital Aug 22 and administered glucose, managed to escape from the hospital Thursday.