Jantar Mantar ripples

HYDERABAD

People from all walks of life gathered at Indira Park to show support for Anna Hazare,and more than a thousand people started a hunger strike at Dharna Chowk. 8220;Anna Hazare is fasting unto death. Can8217;t we do it for a day,8221; they reasoned. In the gathering were software engineers Pranit Reddy and Aletion Reddy; Telugu film director Shekhar Kammula,actors Daggubati Rana Naidu and Kamal Kamaraju; and freedom fighters Babu Rao Varma,E Krishnamurthy and K Rajalingam. 8220;Those who could not attend have expressed support online,8221; said Suman Kopparapu,coordinator of the Youth for Better India,which has launched the Facebook campaign.

JAMMU

Social activists,lawyers and students held sit-ins and took out candle light marches in support of Hazare. Jammu University students also organised a signature campaign. Nirbhow Nirvair Organisation,a conglomerate of Sikh organisations,took out a march and held a dharna near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

MAHARASHTRA

In Hazare8217;s home district,Ahmednagar,thousands of people from all walks of life came out on the streets. On Thursday night,an estimated 3,500 people had joined a march organised by the Alliance of NGOs here. In Parner,home tehsil of Hazare,over 5,000 people,including Shiv Sainiks,observed a fast and burnt the effigy of Shiv Sena MLA Suresh Jain,who had questioned Hazare8217;s credentials in the Assembly on Thursday. Some Hazare supporters are planning a 8216;Jail Bharo Aandolan8217; from April 12.

Bangalore

More than 2000 people,including students,a 90-year-old freedom fighter,artists,film stars,and low-profile politicians,gathered at Freedom Park. At the centre were four members of the India Against Corruption Movement,who are on a hunger strike. The freedom fighter,H S Doreswamy,addressed the crowd: 8220;People were looking for a just leader to rally around. They have found it in Anna Hazare.8221; Politically-affiliated groups like the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and some dalit organisations tried to share the stage,but were turned away.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar

There is no way the Centre can shy away from Anna Hazare8217;s demands now. NAC is headed by a non-minister and has members from the civil society8230; all its powers are notified. Not conceding Anna8217;s demand is dual-speak by the Centre.8221;

Congress spokesman

Abhishek Manu Singhvi

8220;Let us work together. All substantial and real issues have been resolved8230; However,no government can abdicate its Constitutional responsibility by accepting the impossible condition of a joint committee to draft the Lokpal Bill.8221;

Chief Election Commissioner

S Y Quraishi

8220;It is unfortunate that things have come to such a pass8230; While Lokpal issue deals with prosecuting the corrupt,our election reform proposals go deeper and deal with preventing them from coming to power in the first place.

Karnataka CM

B S Yeddyurappa

8220;Time has come for enactment of such a legislation to eradicate corruption8230; People should be in a position to display a signboard that their village is corruption-free and it should go up to taluk,district,state and country level.8221;

CPI ML-Liberation chief

Dipankar Bhattacharya

8220;About 100 of our partymen including Bhattacharya himself are sitting on a fast to show support to Anna Hazare8217;s demand for the Lokpal Bill,which the government should immediately accept.8221;

Filmmaker

Aparna Sen

8220;It is wonderful the way civil society is responding to this cause. This is the way democracy should function. I fully support Hazare8230; A peaceful revolution seems to have started and there is hope yet for India.8221;

Sahitya Akademi president

Sunil Gangopadhyay

8220;If I go to Delhi and the impasse continues,I shall certainly turn up at the place and offer my open support8230; I can8217;t take the initiative at this age,but I am willing to be present physically if there is any protest in support of Hazare in Kolkata.8221;