Sushma demands explanation from PM on Hazare's detention

New Delhi, Aug 16 (ANI): Hours after veteran social activist Anna Hazare was detained by the police from Supreme Enclave in Mayur Vihar for defying prohibitory orders and vowing to go ahead with his fast, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj condemned the incident, and demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh make a statement in Lok Sabha on the issue.

"A statement from the Home Minister on the issue (Hazare) is not acceptable to us. We want the Prime Minister's statement in the House. Whatever has happened, the Prime Minister must explain," Swaraj told mediapersons outside Parliament here on Tuesday.

"If the Prime Minister gives a statement, then there will be a discussion on it. If the Prime Minister does not give a statement, then we will decide our future course of action," she added.

Hitting out at the government for 'adopting undemocratic methods inside and outside the House', Swaraj said: "This is happening for the first time that the Speaker's ruling was challenged by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister. The Speaker allowed me to speak in the House but Parliamentary Affairs Minister said he would not allow me to speak."

"It is strange that the government whose responsibility is to run the House disrupted the House," she added.

Swaraj, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, further said the government is hell-bent on crushing the civil rights of the citizens

"Government is showing imbalance in the Anna Hazare episode. First four senior ministers negotiated with Hazare, and now, they are saying he is corrupt. The government is hell-bent on crushing civil rights of the citizens," she said.

"Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC were imposed in JP Park, but Hazare was arrested from Mayur Vihar where no Section 144 was imposed," she added, while questioning the decision to detain Hazare before he was to sit on his agitation.

The 74-year-old social activist was taken into custody before he was to proceed to the venue of his fast in Jai Prakash Narain Park, where prohibitory orders are in place.

Three other prominent activists Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Shanti Bhushan were also taken into preventive custody. (ANI)