Women hit streets of Ranchi in support of Anna Hazare

Three days after anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare stepped out of Delhi's Tihar Jail women Friday hit the streets in Ranchi while several shop-owners spontaneously downed shutters in the Jharkhand capital in support of Gandhian Anna Hazare.

The women, mostly tribals, took out a huge rally under various banners, including Birsa Ulgulan Manch, covering main routes of the city, shouting pro-Anna and anti-corruption slogans.

"It was a spontaneous shutdown by business establishment not only in the city but also in the rural areas of Ranchi district like Ratu and Mandar," said Sanjay Seth, the convenor of India Against Corruption, Jharkhand Chapter/Jharkhand Civil Society.

Most shops in the city were closed for two hours following the shutdown call by the 'India Against Corruption' forum, he said.

"The response sends out a message to the Centre that it should not delay in accepting Anna Hazare's demand for the Jan Lokpal Bill covering prime minister and higher judiciary," he added.

He said, "The Congress' projection of Rahul Gandhi as the youth icon belied its claim after lakhs of youth across the country are rallying behind 74-year-old Anna Hazare against corruption."

Students of Birsa Institute of Technology, Meshra, will organize an event "Support to Anna Hazare" at 5pm through street plays, Arun Kumar Goutam, one of the organizers of the event said.

The advocates of Dumka and Jamtara districts Friday boycotted courts and took out processions in support of Hazare at their respective places.