100 Anna supporters detained outside PM’s residence
New Delhi, July 28
The Delhi police today detained 100 people, including eight women, for shouting slogans in front of the Prime Minister's house. Supporters of Team Anna today entered the heavily guarded residence holding placards of anti-government slogans.

Even weekend fails to bring the crowd   Some of those who turned up to support Anna at Jantar Mantar. Tribune photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

Mock drills disrupt Metro services
New Delhi, July 28
Metro commuters faced a tough time today with train services remaining disrupted for nearly an hour due to mock drills at 11 stations. The drills were conducted by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) to assess the preparedness of agencies in responding to emergency situations like earthquakes, terrorist attacks, bomb blasts, fire etc.

Rescue workers from the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) during a mock drill to combat emergency incidents at the Central Secretariat Metro station in New Delhi on Saturday. Tribune photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

100 Anna supporters detained outside PM’s residence
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 28
The Delhi police today detained 100 people, including eight women, for shouting slogans in front of the Prime Minister's house. Supporters of Team Anna today entered the heavily guarded residence holding placards of anti-government slogans. They were rounded up near 7 Race Course Road, packed up in vehicles and detained, the police said.

As the police tried to stop the protesters from going ahead, many of them resisted the arrest by lying down on the road, dotted by heavy presence of security personnel guarding the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh's official residence.

The activists led by Hazare alleged that Singh and 14 of his ministerial colleagues are involved in graft, including in the purported multi-crore coal mining scam.

The protesters were seen throwing paper missiles and pieces of coal when they had clash with the police. Some of them tried to break through the barricades near the gates but were swiftly stopped by the police. There were no reports of any injury in the clash that lasted a few minutes. "We have detained 100 people. The incident took place around 6 pm," said a police official.

Even weekend fails to bring the crowd

Even though it was Saturday, the fourth day of the Team Anna’s indefinite protest saw a low response from the people today.

Though people began to pour in during later hours and crowd rose to around 1,000 towards the evening, the expectations of the organisers were belied as they had hoped that the weekend might bring more people.

Hazare took on the Congress and the BJP, saying the country’s future is not safe in their hands. He said that he himself would not fight the elections, but campaign for the candidates with clean background.

Over 200 people are also fasting with the team Anna. Three protestors were taken to hospital after they complained of uneasiness. Maniram, 90, from Agra who too was fasting to support the cause, was rushed to a nearby hospital after his blood pressure slipped low. “This fight is bigger than fight for Independence. That was against outsiders, the white men. However, this fight is against our own men,” said Maniram.

Hazare yesterday did not rule the emergence of a “people’s party” in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, saying it is not wrong if candidates selected by the people to fight the poll .

Hazare’s four-day ultimatum to the government on a decision on his demands ends today as he accused the government of cheating them repeatedly on the issue of Lokpal. He said that he is forced to fast again and again, which is not “a happy thing”. “I will fast until we get Jan Lokpal,” said Hazare.

Talking about a political alternative for the next Lok Sabha elections, the 74-year-old activist said if “good people” do not enter Parliament, there will be no change in system and the country will not get a strong Lokpal.

Hazare also said that the most of the time grounds remained unfilled even during election rallies of big parties. “By getting crowds alone, you won’t get the work done. You have to work hard for it,” he said. The current agitation is in stark contrast to the team Anna’s earlier protests when the crowd on weekends was so huge that the venues were jam packed.

Members of the team Anna began their indefinite fast on July 25 at Jantar Mantar to press for a stringent Jan Lokpal bill and demanding an inquiry into allegations of corruption against over a dozen ministers, including President Pranab Mukherjee when he was the Finance Minister.

Mock drills disrupt Metro services
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 28
Metro commuters faced a tough time today with train services remaining disrupted for nearly an hour due to mock drills at 11 stations. The drills were conducted by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) to assess the preparedness of agencies in responding to emergency situations like earthquakes, terrorist attacks, bomb blasts, fire etc.

The practice was carried out simultaneously at 11 stations at Karol Bagh, Dwarka Sector 11, Central Secretariat, Pitampura, Azadpur, Badarpur, Kirti Nagar, Chandni Chowk, Shahdara, Noida City Centre and Guru Dronacharya.

"As part of the standard emergency procedure, the entry points of these stations were closed between 11 am and 11.50 am. During this period, announcements were made in the Metro trains and stations urging the commuters to remain calm. The entire exercise took about 50 minutes. Thereafter, normalcy was restored," said Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) spokesperson.

The aim of the drills was to check the preparedness of the DMRC staff and coordination among them, police, medical staff and the fire brigade, said the official.

"We conduct mock drills on a periodic basis in which scenarios such as terrorist attacks, evacuation from trains and stations, derailment and fire are simulated," added the official.

East corpn to have separate logo
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 28
Officials of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) want a unique identity for the civic body and have decided to launch a separate logo for it. The East Delhi corporation and the other two civic bodies, North Delhi Municipal Corporation and South Delhi Municipal Corporation, have been using the logo of the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) since their formation.

“Every corporation across the country has its own logo. The logo of the undivided MCD has the image of Qutub Minar, which does not represent East Delhi,” said Mehak Singh, chairman of the standing committee of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation.

East Delhi Mayor Anapurna Mishra has written a letter to the commissioner to initiate the process in this regard. Mishra has asked him to form a committee comprising experts from the fields of art, literature and design. The experts will also help in creating a new tagline for the corporation.

According to reports, in the new logo, the corporation wants to incorporate landmarks of its area like Signature Bridge, the first Metro line of the city and the Yamuna.

“East Delhi boasts of the first Metro line in the city from Shahdara to Welcome. Also, the under-construction Signature Bridge in Wazirabad is one of the biggest projects of Delhi. And the Yamuna has great significance in East Delhi as its divides the area from the rest of the city. We are considering various options and will soon decide upon one for the logo,” said Singh.