But ground reality revealed otherwise. DNA found 7,000 to 8,000 Hazare supporters shouting slogans and waving the Tricolour from outside Andheri station (West), opposite McDonald's, up to Juhu beach.
While Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign gained momentum across the country, it seemed to have lost its energy in Maharashtra. That’s what the state government wants citizens to believe.
But ground reality revealed otherwise. DNA found 7,000 to 8,000 Hazare supporters shouting slogans and waving the Tricolour from outside Andheri station (West), opposite McDonald's, up to Juhu beach.
Another 2,000 supporters turned up at Azad Maidan.
While 200 people participated in a candlelight march on Nagardas Road in Andheri (East), more than 200 lawyers participated in peace march outside the Andheri court.
And these are the estimate figures for Mumbai alone.
But, according to the state home department, only 24,689 Hazare supporters participated in agitations across the state on Wednesday.
Nearly 40,000 people had come out on the streets soon after Hazare was arrested in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The state also claimed that the number of arrests dropped by more than half in one day.
While 2,529 agitators were arrested from various places in the state on Wednesday, the police had arrested 6,999 protesters the earlier day.
The police arrested 25 persons, including housewives, students, professionals and industrialists, who gathered at the Thane station to support Hazare.
Nagpur city saw the maximum arrests —1,232 — as 3,190 people participated in agitations there.
Home minister RR Patil, however, reiterated that there were no untoward incidents in the state in the last two days and the protests were peaceful.
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