Huge anti-graft rally piles pressure on Indian govt
Tens of thousands of protestors took to the streets of New Delhi
Wednesday in support of a fasting anti-corruption activist involved in a
high-stakes standoff with India's graft-tainted government.
Veteran campaigner Anna Hazare, 74, brought huge, spontaneous crowds
onto the streets within hours when he appealed from jail for a mass
demonstration through the ceremonial heart of the Indian capital.
Other anti-graft protests were held in cities across the country, in
a direct challenge to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who slammed Hazare's
hunger strike as "totally misconceived" and undemocratic.
Hazare's protest, which is focused on what he sees as a watered-down
anti-corruption law introduced in parliament, has attracted support from
India's middle-classes and constant media coverage. AFP
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