Ramlila Maidan

Ramlila Maidan

Ramlila Maidan also Ramlila Ground is a playground located in New Delhi, India.[1] It is used for religious festivals, major political rallies and meetings, and entertainment events.It is located near New Delhi Railway Station and Delhi Gate
  Anna Hazare and his team were in discussions with government and police on Wednesday over the venue of his fast after he comes out of Tihar jail. After meeting Hazare, lawyer Prashant Bhushan told the crowd of supporters outside the jail that the Gandhian would come out of the jail only if he is allowed to fast without conditions. Bhushan said government and police were discussing with Hazare and his aides options of fast venue -- JP Park or Ramlila Maidan -- where he could launch his fight for a strong Lokpal. He said if conditions are imposed, then Ann Hazare will continue with his fast inside the jail. He also told the crowd that people of Delhi have been asked to come to India Gate for a march to Jantar Mantar in support of a strong Lokpal and fight against corruption. Hazare had earlier sought permission from Tihar jail authorities for a meeting with some of his top associates to plan his strategy. The meeting was attended by Bhushan, Kiran Bedi, Medha Patkar, Manish Sisodia and Swami Agnivesh. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ashok Chand was also present at the meeting. Hazare also met Sri Sri Ravishankar and yoga guru Ramdev in the prison.Hazare's close aide Manish Sisodia told the gathering that the issue was now stuck on conditions not being imposed on the Gandhian for his fast. He said the Hazare team was willing to hold their protest at Ramlila Maidan but permission should be given for at least a month without any condition.

Tihar Jail and Anna

Tihar Jail and Anna

Following the Anna Hazare’s protest in Tihar Jail, around one thousand supporters joined him in front of the jail. The roads adjacent to Tihar were blocked for vehicles during the protest, resulting in traffic jams in nearby areas. Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev arrived to the Tihar Jail on Wednesday afternoon at around 2 pm with a huge crowd of his supporters and subsequently, after a few minutes, Sri Sri Ravishankar also joined him.Both of them were allowed to meet Anna inside the jail. Kiran Bedi and Shanti Bhushan also met Anna and all of them apparently discussed the situation and held a prayer with Mr Hazare.Meanwhile, the supporters of Baba Ramdev and Sri Sri Ravishankar united outside the Tihar Jail. The crowd of supporters was suddenly exceeded more than 1,500 when both, Ramdev and Ravishankar, met the Gandhian leader. Anna’s close aide Manish Sishodia, social activist Medha Patekar, Anna’s aides Kirna Bedi and Shanti Bhushan addressed the supporters and informed them about the situation.“He does not want them (police) to arrest him the moment he begins his fast at a location of his choice. We don’t have any information on when he will come out,” they said addressing the supporters.A huge crowd of supporters was gathered on two gates of Tihar to watch Anna coming out of the jail.Residents of the nearby areas provided free food, drinking water and toilets to Anna supporters. Some of supporters voluntarily started sweeping the roads where a lot of bottles and disposable plates were scattered. A group of men also took leave from the office to join the protest.“I work with a private bank as an assistant manager. I was watching the protest from the time Anna was arrested, but today I couldn’t stop myself to join the protests. I am sweeping the road to keep the place of protest clean and I took a leave from my office,” said Ajay Kumar.Some of retired government employees also joined the protest despite of the hot and humid weather.“I was a teacher in Delhi government school 11 years ago. After the JP movement, I am watching the most interesting movement of free India. Anna is right and we need another independence from corruption,” said Dr Shiv Kumar Bhardwaj here.

Anna Hazare Continues Hunger Strike

Anna Hazare Continues Hunger Strike

NEW DELHI: After two nights in Tihar Jail and hard bargaining, Anna Hazare and government reached an agreement early this morning under which Delhi Police removed all restrictions and allowed him to carry out his hunger strike for a fortnight in the spacious Ramlila Maidan here.The breakthrough in the battle of attribution between the two sides came in the wee hours of the day after top aides of Hazare met Delhi Police Commissioner B K Gupta and reached an agreement.The deal marks a major climbdown from government and police's earlier insistence that the fast would be allowed at JP Park, a smaller venue, only for three days with maximum of 5,000 protesters besides a number of other conditions.The agreement came more than 40 hours after Hazare's arrest of Tuesday and release the same night. However, the Gandhian refused to come out of the jail, continued his fast and carried out hard negotiations from Tihar through his emissaries.Activist Kiran Bedi tweeted early morning that Hazare has accepted the Delhi Police offer of 15 days and announced that he will go to Ramlila Maidan after 3 pm.However, another close aide of the 73-year-old Gandhian said this morning that it may not be possible for Hazare to launch his protest from the Ramlila Ground today as the venue was full of muck and needs cleaning up."I have just spoken to Commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (K S Mehra) who has promised me that a Deputy Commissioner would supervise the cleaning up operations at the Maidan," Arvind Kejriwal said.He said Hazare going to the protest venue "looked difficult" as of now. "We can't give a time as to whether it would start today...if it is possible, (he may do it)."
Bedi had earlier said that Hazare would go to Rajghat before starting his protest in the Maidan after 3pm.
Confirming the deal, home secretary R K Singh said, "Delhi Police and Anna Hazare Team have agreed on the venue, duration, conditions etc.""Delhi Police and the Anna Hazare team worked out between themselves this agreement. The Delhi Police has no problem in giving 15 days time and the 15 days also suits the Anna Team," he said.Kejriwal said Hazare does not want to go before proper arrangements are made at the fast venue because once the crowd gather, it would be difficult to put in place proper facilities.
Arrangements like erection of tents and provision of drinking water facilities were being made.
He said that Hazare's health was perfectly okay and doctors from Medanta Medicity headed by Naresh Trehan have already checked him and certified him fit.
"I am fine, I am ready to walk two kilometres just now," Hazare was quoted as saying by Kejriwal whose remarks were loudly cheered by hundreds of the Gandhian's supporters gathered outside Tihar.
Last night, Hazare refused a check up by doctors from GB Pant hospital apprehending that they may remove him from the jail on health grounds.Asserting that the government has bowed down to people's pressure, Kejriwal said, "we have just entered the battle, a long fight remains."He appealed to the government to give a chance to the Jan Lokpal draft prepared by the civil society for Parliament to discuss."People have a right to say what draft will go to Parliament. They are supreme in democracy," he said rejecting government's contention that civil society cannot make the law.eanwhile, former law minister and Hazare associate Shanti Bhushan said the decision to allow Hazare to fast for 15 days showed that his demands were reasonable and that the government should bring in a new Lokpal Bill after consulting the Gandhian."I am very happy that ultimately good sense has prevailed on the government and it has agreed to permit Anna to fast for 14 days and that shows Anna was never unreasonable in his demands," Bhushan said.He claimed the provisions of the Lokpal Bill put forward by the Hazare team were "totally" Constitutional. "I can certify that they are Constitutional and I think it would be wise for the government to withdraw the (present) bill from Parliament and move a fresh bill after talking to Anna."eanwhile, Hazare's supporters gathered outside Tihar Jail to greet the news of government agreeing to the demands of the Gandhian.As supporters started pouring in chanting anti-corruption slogans, about 250 Delhi policemen were deployed to provide security around Tihar, while another 200 men in uniform were kept on standby.Bomb disposal teams and dog squads conducted a surprise check outside Tihar Jail here early this morning, soon after the Anna Hazare team announced that the Gandhian would move out of the prison to launch his anti-corruption protest at Ramlila Maidan.The teams descended outside the jail, where Hazare supporters were camping to express solidarity with the 73-year-old social activist, at around 3:30am and conducted a thorough check and sanitised the area. 

Anna to continue protest -JP Park

Anna to continue  protest -JP Park 

The Anna Hazare team tonight said the Gandhian will continue with his indefinite fast which he launched while in detention and insist that he will sit on protest at Jai Prakash Narain Park where prohibitory orders have been imposed."Let there be no doubt that Hazare will continue with his fast. He will insist on the same place (Jai Prakash Narain Park)," activist Kiran Bedi told PTI. However, she said, they were ready to climb down from the demand if Delhi Police allows them to fast at Ramlila Ground."If Delhi Police can give us Ramlila Ground for which we already have the permission, Hazare will not insist on JP Park," Bedi said.Hazare was arrested this morning for insisting that he will defy the prohibitory orders at JP Park and go ahead with his fast.

Anna Released from Tihar Jail

Anna Released from Tihar Jail

Protests all over India brought the UPA government to its knees on Tuesday night, forcing a decision to release social activist Anna Hazare barely hours after he had been sent to Tihar Jail for seven days.Anna Hazare and some of his close associates were arrested earlier in the day after they made it clear they would defy all prohibitory orders and carry on an indefinite fast demanding a strong Lokpal Bill.The 73-year-old Gandhian was picked up at 7.30 am from a flat where he was staying in Mayur Vihar in East Delhi after he refused to be persuaded by Delhi Police officials against the fast, in violation of prohibitory orders that were imposed last night.Anna Hazare had even refused food in Tihar, indicating he would carry on his fast in jail.azare and his aides including, Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal, were first taken to the Delhi Police Officers' Mess in North Delhi and were shifted to another after Hazare's supporters gathered in large numbers at Civil Lines.Nearly 1,400 activists were detained in various parts of the city when they came out in support of Hazare, who had planned to launch the fast at Jai Prakash Narain Park near Ferozeshah Kotla.The social activist, who is campaigning for a legislation that will cover the Prime Minister, higher judiciary and MPs' conduct within Parliament among other things, was later taken to Rajouri Garden police station in West Delhi where a Special Executive Magistrate remanded him to 7 days judicial custody.The decision to remand him came after Hazare refused to sign a personal bond undertaking he will not defy prohibitory orders to hold protests.Kiran Bedi was, however, released from custody though she too had refused to sign a personal bond.Hazare was taken to Jail No 4 in Tihar Central Prison where he will be lodged for the next seven days. His associates including, Kejriwal and Manoj Sisodia, were lodged in Jail No 1. Noted lawyer Shanti Bhushan was also among those arrested.Hundreds of supporters gathered outside Tihar after Hazare and his associates were taken inside the prison.Shortly after Hazare's arrest, his campaigner Prashant Bhushan announced a series of agitational programmes, including a march from India Gate to Parliament tomorrow evening and protests by supporters on Delhi streets.He also called upon government employees to go on mass leave tomorrow to show solidarity with Hazare.Parliament was disrupted by Opposition parties which said Hazare's arrest amounted to the “murder of democracy” and was a throwback to the days of the Emergency. Home Minister P Chidambaram rejected this charge asserting anyone saying he would defy prohibitory orders was unacceptable in a democracy.Chidambaram said Hazare was arrested under Sections 107 and 151 of the CrPC because Delhi Police felt he could commit a cognizable offence.He said Lokpal was not a panacea for all the corruption that existed in the country. The government was taking a five-pronged action to tackle it but it would still exist, Chidambaram said. It is a battle that would be fought on various fronts and no one can tell the government it would be either “my Bill or no Bill”, he added.Gupta said the Gandhian had refused to give an undertaking that he would not defy prohibitory orders. He said the Delhi Police was ready to release Hazare on a personal bond if he gave the undertaking.Delhi Police chief B K Gupta said they had initially suggested Hazare hold his protest at Sadbhavana Park which has a capacity to accommodate around 15,000 to 20,000 people.“According to our intelligence, 15,000 to 20,000 people were to gather for the protest and we suggested he stage his protest there but the Delhi High Court have banned all protests at this spot. It was then that we suggested Jai Prakash Narain Park,” he said.He said the CPWD, the agency which owns the park, noted it could not provide the facility for more than one or two days. Police then intervened and got permission for three days, he said.“Normally, indefinite protests are not allowed in JP Park. The CPWD also cited a High Court order in this regard. We had to reject their application as they refused to give an undertaking.“When they announced they would go ahead with their protest, we imposed Section 144. There was a chance for people assembling there. Also, we had the Rajghat episode in mind where within a few hours, more than 1,000 people gathered yesterday after Hazare went there,” he said.Gupta said they anticipated “similar surprise elements” at JP Park and decided to impose Section 144 and senior officials went to meet Hazare this morning to convince him that he should not go ahead with his plans. “Hazare told us that he will go ahead. Then we had to tell him that he will have to court arrest,” he said.Hazare was first taken to a police facility in north Delhi's Civil Lines from where he was shifted to DCP Office in west Delhi's Rajouri Garden after a large number of people started arriving there to protest.So many protestors assembled there that we moved him out,” Gupta said.
The police tried to persuade Hazare to call off his programmes but the ninety-minute exercise did not move him as he stood firm by his plans to defy prohibitory orders, leading to his charged-up supporters trying to prevent his detention.Chants of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Vande Mataram' rented the air as tricolour waving supporters almost made a human wall around the vehicle carrying the Gandhian to a police facility.At the stroke of 7.30 am, police informed the Gandhian that they were taking him into custody as their efforts to convince him had failed and the khadi-clad Gandhian came out of the flat in Mayur Vihar after instructing his aides to release his prerecorded message.Delhi Police had denied permission for his fast after Hazare's broad anti-corruption forum India Against Corruption refused to abide by all 22 conditions set for the agitation.
The Hazare team hit out at the government for the police action with the Gandhian describing his detention as the beginning of the “second freedom struggle”. He asked people not to let the agitation against corruption fizzle out and urged them to fill jails while his team termed the police action as a “return of Emergency”.
“My dear countrymen, the second freedom struggle has begun and I have also been arrested. But will this movement be stopped by my arrest? No, not at all. Don't let it happen,” Hazare said in a prerecorded message.The Hazare team described the detention as the “return of Emergency without a formal proclamation” and asked what crime the Gandhian had committed to take him into custody.“This is the return of Emergency without official proclamation. What crime did Anna commit? Unless we unite, we will be imposed with a defective Lokpal which protects corruption. We now need solutions not statements of intentions,” Bedi said.
Hazare, aides in Tihar
Director General of Tihar Prison Neeraj Kumar said Hazare along with his three supporters were in the new admission ward of Jail 4 while Kejriwal, a former IRS officer, and three others were kept in Jail 1.
“They are kept in new admission ward segregated from others. They are safe and secure,” Kumar told reporters here, adding, “We have made all arrangements for his security and he has been kept segregated from other prisoners. We are dedicated to his security.”“I would like to further clarify that what is being shown on some of the channels that they are being kept with Kalmadi is totally false.“They are in the wards which are far away from the wards of Kalmadi. His (Hazare's) health will be monitored by doctors present in our jails. Our future course of action will depend on his health condition,” the Director General said.Hazare is in Jail 4 which houses 2,231 prisoners including CWG scam accused Suresh Kalmadi and Kalaignar TV Managing Director Sharad Kumar, who is in judicial custody for the 2G scam. Hazare is with his associates Radheyshyam Prajapati, Suresh Pathare and Manish Sisodia in the new admission cell of the jail.Kejriwal had been lodged with Navin Jaisingh, Dada Pathare and Darshak in Jail 1 where former Telecom Minister A Raja and managing director of D B Realty Shahid Balwa, both accused in the 2G case, are among the 1,543 prisoners.Jail officials said Hazare had water and all eight were found to be fit during the routine medical examination.

Govt blinks, to release Anna Hazare

Govt blinks, to release Anna Hazare

New Delhi: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government, finding itself increasingly isolated over the arrest and judicial custody of Anna Hazare and his supporters, finally seems to be blinking. Hazare and seven of his supporters, who were arrested and sent to seven days in judicial custody on Tuesday, will be released by 9.30 PM on Tuesday night.Delhi Police sent a warrant to Tihar Jail for the release of Hazare and his supporters after withdrawing bail bond conditions, which Hazare had earlier refused to sign. Over 1,500 people who have been detained for taking part in protests demanding Hazare's release are also likely to be released.Congress Sources say that the Government decided to release Hazare and his supporters after coming to the conclusion that keeping him in jail would create unnecessary law and order problem. The decision to release Hazare was taken after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday evening where Rahul disapproved of the arrest.

Anna Hazare against corruption

Anna Hazare against corruption

Thousands of Anna Hazare supporters on Wednesday swamped the national capital's VVIP areas with hundreds coming close to Parliament House raising slogans in support of the Gandhian. The limelight of the protest shifted from Tihar Jail to India Gate and Jantar Mantar in the evening aspeople "worried about corruption" descended on the streets waving tricolour and chanting slogans, responding to a call from Hazare to fill the roads leading to Parliament.The area close to the Parliament House, where heated debate on the handling of Anna Hazare affair was about to conclude with home minister P Chidambaram's reply, reverberated with clapping, slogan-shouting, and cries of Vande-Mataram as a huge crowd thronged Parliament Street.A car of a senior official of Delhi Police was stuck in the crowd and allowed to go after booing and anti-police slogans.A section of people, who were scheduled to march from India Gate to Jantar Mantar, drifted towards Parliament despite their leaders appealing them to stick to the route.The procession of about 2,000 people reached the barricades put up by the police near Parliament annexe.The Delhi Police contingent deployed near the Parliament complex persuaded the crowd to return after they sang patriotic songs and raised slogans of Vande-matram."I have come here with my family to support the cause for which Anna Hazare is fighting," said Nitish Mehra, who is a businessman from Karol Bagh, Delhi. Mehra had come with his two kids and wife.Carrying the tri-colours, posters and boards with messages, the group comprised the young and the old alike. Some have come after their office duties while many had taken leave from their offices and businesses to take part in the rally."I hope those sitting in Parliament listen to our voices. We want them to hear our voices. That's why we have come on the doors of Parliament. Jan lokpal bill should be passed. This is our demand. This is high time that leaders should listen to us," said Nimisha of Delhi University who came here with her friends.Twenty six-year old entrepreneur Rimu Mattas had taken a day off to support Anna and his cause. "I gave my employees an off today and we all have come here to protest against corruption which has plagued the nation".Young lawyer Shweta Sharma said that to attribute corruption to any one person would be unjustifiable. "It's an attitudinal problem. We cannot say a handful of people are corrupt. It's a problem that will be there with any government that comes to power. Change is needed at individual level."

She was joined by several other people from her law firm.Later, the protesters held a candlelit vigil.