All wait for Anna at Tihar gate

Hazare’s supporters, who started pouring in large numbers outside the jail 6 am onwards “to welcome Anna” after his release ,said they felt “disappointed and concerned” about Hazare still being in jail but promised “to come to the jail and Ramlila Maidan everyday”. Hundreds of supporters,young and old, sang songs,lit candles,waved flags and painted the Tricolour on their faces.

Jaya Sharma (26),a nursery teacher from Naraina,asked why “Rahul Gandhi was not present” at the protest. “When Rahul can visit villages,why can’t he come here when the entire nation’s youth are supporting Anna?,” she said,before breaking into “Desh ka yuva yahaan hai,Rahul Gandhi kahaan hai.”

Lalit (25),a vocalist with the Pratham band,strummed ‘Vande Matram’ and ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’ even as the crowd cheered and sang with him.

Supporters,who had come from across the city and beyond,cheered up after Team Anna members,Arvind Kejriwal,Swami Agnivesh and Medha Patkar,addressed them after meeting Hazare in jail.

Patkar said Hazare would “walk towards Ramlila Maidan” after his release on Friday. “Anna will also stop at Rajghat for some time. He is still fasting inside jail,” she said,adding that no political party has supported the Jan Lokpal Bill “formally” untill now.

Protest marches continued along the road opposite the jail,long after the three activists left the area.

Locals from Janakpuri and surrounding areas arranged food,water and snacks for the demonstrators throughout the day. Anuradha Sharma (38) came with her husband and brother from Rohini to distribute breakfast among the protesters. “I woke up at 5 am today to prepare bread-butter-jam for almost 50-60 people. We have also got bananas and glucose biscuits. Yesterday,we had prepared lunch for about 100 people,’ Sharma said.

Mrityunjay Upadhyay (24),an MBA student from Aligarh who lives in Dwarka with his four room-mates,had prepared tea for the supporters. “We took leave from college,made tea for the people here and carried it in thermos flask,” he said. Meanwhile,his friend Gaurav (20) handed out plastic cups and snacks to the supporters.

Rajbir Sehrawat and Rajiv Kumar Sehrawat,both farmers from village Lok Nayakpuram,waved the Tricolours and donned Gandhi caps with Anna Hazare scrawled on it. “We have been here since yesterday and will continue to agitate even at the Ramlila Grounds when Anna goes there on Friday,” Rajiv said. Asked if he knew what the Jan Lokpal Bill was all about,he said,“Though I do not really know what the Bill entails but I am sure if the government is already so wary of it,the Bill must be stern against those indulging in corruption.”

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