Anna fever grips state

BANGALORE: Even as the protests extending support to Anna Hazare seeking a strong Lokpal Bill entered the second week, there appeared to be no lack of enthusiasm among people’s participation.On Saturday, students, professionals and people took part in the anticorruption movement across the state.Freedom Park in Bangalore, the nerve centre of protests in Karnataka, wore a festive look as Parliament passed a resolution to adopt the Lokpal Bill by including all of Anna Hazare’s demands.A few enthusiastic Hazare supporters ventured on to the streets shouting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”.Former Loakyukta and member of the joint committee to draft the Lokpal Bill Justice Santosh Hegde earlier in the day administered an anti-corruption oath.Meanwhile, protests were staged all over the state.In Mysore, Karya Gram Panchayat passed a resolution pressing for a strong Lokpal Bill.According to panchayat president Prashanth, a copy of the resolution would be forwarded to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.Protests were also reported from Mandya, Kolar, Tumkur, Hubli, Belgaum, Gulbarga and Mangalore where thousands of people took out protest marches and staged dharnas demanding a strong Lokpal Bill