Anna supporters in Chennai disappointed

The general mood of India Against Corruption (IAC) members here supporting Anna Hazare’s demand for a strong anti-graft law was of disappointment after the Lok Sabha passed the Lokpal Bill Tuesday night but they were determined to take their protest to the next level, said an activist Wednesday.

“We didn’t get what we expected. Now we have to see what is going to happen in the Rajya Sabha. We don’t want this bill to be passed,” C. Mohan, a civil engineer on fast here, told IANS. “There is a sense of betrayal as well as renewed vigour to take the protest to the next level,” Banu Gomes, media coordinator for IAC, told IANS.

She said a total of 26 people are on fast and 200 on relay fast. Around 400 people visited the fast venue Wednesday to express their solidarity with the IAC activists.

She said the condition of Chandra Mohan, a protester on fast who was hospitalised Tuesday, is stable now. Refuting that the response to the protest was poor, Gomes said the venue for the fast was finalised Dec 26 and there was not much time to publicise the event.

“Despite that, the response is good with 400 people visiting the venue Wednesday,” she said.