Anna's cause finds many voices in city

VARANASI: While protests by Anna Hazare supporters spread in different parts of the city on Wednesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also came to the street in protest against the alleged bid of the UPA government to crush Anna's democratic movement.

Locals continued to turn up at the district headquarters to join the indefinite dharna being staged under the banner of India Against Corruption (IAC). With every development in New Delhi, the size of gathering continued to increase. Even the heavy downpour in the afternoon failed to deflate the gathering when the pandal at the agitation venue was badly damaged. The participants remained there and continued to raise slogans and sing patriotic songs.

The BJP local unit leaders and workers carried out a huge procession in protest against the arrest of Anna. The procession started from Chitranjan Park in Dasaswamedh. After passing through various localities, the procession culminated at Azad Park, Lahurabir. Afterwards, the BJP men reached district headquarters where they also staged a demonstration in a pandal adjacent to the pandal of the IAC. The BJP leaders, including city chief RG Mohaley, Mayor Kaushalendra Singh, MLAs including Shyamdeo Roy Chaudhury, Jyotsana Srivastava and other speakers, lashed out at the UPA government, alleging that the arrest of Anna clearly indicated that it was trying to crush the democratic rights of people.

Protests against the delay caused by the Union government in considering the demand of Anna to allow his fast without condition also spread to other parts of the district. Legal work in courts remained paralysed as the lawyer fraternity continued work boycott for the second consecutive day in support of Anna. The students, teachers and non-teaching staff of different academic institutions also came forward to support Anna's cause. The teachers and non-teaching staff of Agrasen Girls PG College held a meeting in support of Anna Hazare's battle against corruption on Wednesday.
The students of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) held a demonstration in support of the movement of Anna Hazare in Lanka area on Wednesday. A group of students and educationists also staged a sit-in at the BHU gate. BJP workers' intellectual cell staged dharna at Asi Crossing in support of Anna Hazare's movement. Extending support to Anna Hazare, the traders associated with Maldahiya Vyapar Mandal and Loha Vyapar Mandal Samiti pulled their shutters down and formed a human chain.

A group of youth reached Sigra Crossing to burn the effigy of the Prime Minister in the afternoon. A group of students carried out a candle procession from Sampurnanand Sanskrit University Gate to Azad Park Lahurabir under the leadership of Utkarsh Singh in the evening. Preparations like preparing flags and placards also continued in many educational institutions that will carry out rallies in the city on Thursday.