JOIN USAs Anna Hazare begins his three-day fast in Mumbai on Tuesday for a strong Lokpal bill, his team members led by lawyer Shanti Bhushan will simultaneously agitate at the capital’s Ramlila Grounds.
According to Team Anna, preparations for the protest at the Ramlila Grounds here is complete. “Everything has been done and we are ready to cater thousands of supporters who will be pouring in at the ground from Tuesday morning,” Aswathi Muralidharan, spokesperson for India Against Corruption (IAC), told Deccan Herald.
“LED screens have been installed at the Ramlila Grounds to telecast Anna’s fast live from Mumbai,” said Muralidharan.
The stage has been set, the portion of ground to be used by the team has been barricaded in co-ordination with the Delhi Police, eleven information counters are in place, tents on two sides of the venue have been erected and posters and pamphlets were pasted by Monday night.
Around three hundred volunteers in different groups were distributing works for the Tuesday’s relay fast. “We have to manage crowds of thousands at the ground and for that we have made small groups and each of them has been assigned special task to avoid any inconvenience to the supporters,” said IAC member Ram Kumar.
Team Anna’s members — Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Gaud, Sanjay Singh, Gopal Rai and Sunita Godara — will be on fast and the rest of the members will help in making the protest successful. Team Anna members have appealed to the supporters to gather at the ground by 9 am and remain there till 6 pm, seeing the weather condition in the capital. “The minimum temperature here is hovering around 3 degrees Celsius so we have advised the people coming from Delhi and adjoining places to remain till evening,” said Sunita Godara.
The place for the supporters to sit is without any tent. Carpets have been laid so that they can rest under the sun.
However, for the supporters coming from outside Delhi, guesthouses and lodges have been booked apart from a few tents at the ground.
A panel of around six doctors along with a few staff will be present at the ground.
“Ambulance will be stationed at the ground for any medical emergency,” said Muralidharan.
Delhi Police officials were making arrangements for security at the venue. “Around 200 central district police personnel, including 30 women personnel, will be deployed in three shifts. Three companies from reserve battalion, two women platoons will be stationed at the venue,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Aslam Khan.