Public Relation Officer of Tihar Jail Sunil Gupta said that Team Anna has been released after receiving proper orders from Delhi Police Tuesday evening. He added that Anna Hazare has refused to come out of jail unless he was allowed to carry out his indefinite fast at JP Park in the city. His other associates have already come out of the jail.
Mr. Hazare was taken into custody this morning on grounds of apprehension of breach of peace following his intention to defy prohibitory orders to go on indefinite fast. He was sent to Jail this afternoon after he was produced before a Special Executive Magistrate and refused to give the undertaking.
Anna’s associates Kiran Bedi and Shanti Bhushan, who were detained, were also released.
Earlier, Opposition Parties had demanded immediate release of Anna Hazare. They also demanded a statement from the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in Parliament on his arrest. The demand was made after a meeting of leaders of various political parties including Sitaram Yechuri of CPM, Gurudas Dasgupta and D.Raja of CPI, Shailendra Kumar of Samajwadi Party, Raghuvamsh Prasad Singh of RJD and Mysoora Reddy of TDP besides NDA partners.
Talking to media CPIM leader Seetaram Yechury said that they wanted the Prime Minister to explain the government’s action in both the Houses.
Defending Anna Hazare’s custody, the Home Minister Mr. P.Chidambaram had earlier said that the government was not happy with the conditions imposed by the Delhi Police. But it was a painful decision to detain Anna as he and his supporters had made it public that they will defy the prohibitory orders. Mr. Chidambaram however made it clear that the government is not against holding any demonstration or peaceful protest.