Protests continues in Bangalore for Hazare campaign

Bangalore, Aug 20: Techies and students continued to throng the Freedom Park here for the fifth day today (Aug 20) in support of Anna Hazare's campaign for a strong Lokpal Bill with their numbers swelling at the weekend as protesters chanted anti-corruption slogans.

Former Supreme Court Judge and a member of the joint drafting committee on Lokpal Bill N Santosh Hegde, who has emerged as a face for "anti-corruption movement" in Karnataka, sat on a dharna throwing his weight behind Hazare, whose fast in Delhi entered the fifth day.

Hundreds of IT professionals gathered at the K R Circle here and marched to the Park, the hub of protests seeking a strong and effective Lokpal, as chants of "Vande Mataram" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" rented the air.

Many waved the national tri-colour, and the nationalist feelings, wanting to do something for the country and anger towards "all-pervasive corruption" were quite evident at the venue.

Hundreds of traders of the busy S P Road, a hub for hardware, sanitaryware and electrical items, downed shutters for some time to express their solidarity and staged a march to the nearby Townhall.

A section of lawyers donning the trade-mark "Anna topi" and holding banners registered their support in the premises of City Civil Court.

Rallies were held by students and youth in large numbers in different parts of the state, including Bidar and Bijapur, reports received here said.

PTI