Anna Hazare arrested

Anna arrest: Opposition demands Manmohan statement

PTI

PTI TV grab shows BJP members in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. The BJP-led NDA, the Left parties and other non-UPA parties have voiced a strong protest against the arrest of social activist Anna Hazare.

Slamming the government over the arrest of Anna Hazare and his team, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, the Left parties and several other Opposition parties on Tuesday joined ranks and demanded a statement by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on “violation of democratic rights”.

As Mr. Hazare was arrested and sent to Tihar, leaders of the BJP, the Janata Dal (United), the Shiv Sena, the Communist party of India (Marxist), the Communist party of India, the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and some other non-United Progressive Alliance parties held a meeting to discuss common strategy over the issue and came up with a vow to continue their agitation in Parliament against corruption.

“It has been decided that the Prime Minister should make a statement in both Houses of Parliament on whatever is happening in the country. Nobody else,” Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said.

She said the demand for the Prime Minister’s statement will be made on Wednesday and it will determine the Parliament’s functioning.

Contending that action against Mr. Hazare reflected the government’s “nervousness”, she said the Opposition unity was not on Jan Lokpal Bill but “violation of democratic rights”.

Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley alleged the government was “trying to snatch people’s right to protest” and said “the political leadership is trying to hide behind uniform (police)”.

Amid indications that Parliament would not be allowed to function, Mr. Jaitley said the impeachment proceedings against the Calcutta High Court judge Soumitra Sen on Wednesday will take place as per schedule at 3 p.m.

Slamming the government, the CPI(M) said it has “attacked the democratic right to conduct peaceful protest” and asked its party units to conduct peaceful agitation against it on Wednesday.