Pune: Veteran social activist Anna Hazare on Thursday held a symbolic silent (Maun) protest in Ahilyanagar in support of students agitating over the alleged NEET paper leak, a day after urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate dialogue with protesters and backing the demand for Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.The silent protest was held at Mahatma Gandhi Smarak at Wadia Park in Ahilyanagar, around 40km from Hazare’s hometown of Ralegan Siddhi. Students, members of social organisations and local residents attended it. Hazare participated in the demonstration for around one-and-a-half hours as a gesture of solidarity with the students protesting at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.Hazare told reporters after the demonstration that peaceful agitation was the strongest form of protest and urged the govt to avoid the use of force. “I have led 22 protests in my life and not once did those result in a lathicharge. Violence is never the solution to any problem. It only aggravates the situation,” he said.Calling the youth the nation’s greatest strength, Hazare said the govt must respond to their concerns through dialogue. “The education minister should resign. In a democracy, power rests with the people, while ministers are only public servants. The police lathicharge on students was wrong. In my letter, I have appealed to the Prime Minister to resolve the issue through communication and non-violence,” he said.Datta Awari, an associate of Hazare, said the 89-year-old activist had been suffering from a viral infection for the past two to three days but insisted on attending the silent protest. “He became emotional while recalling the police lathicharge on students in Delhi and had tears in his eyes when he reached the protest venue. He remained at the protest site for more than an hour in support of the students despite his illness,” Awari said.In his letter to the Prime Minister on Wednesday, Hazare described the police action against student protesters in New Delhi as “deeply distressing” and said such incidents had no place in a democracy. He urged the Centre to engage with protesters instead of confronting them.He supported the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s demand for Pradhan’s resignation, saying ministerial accountability would strengthen the governance. Hazare also said it was unfair to blame only lower-level officials for irregularities while those in senior positions took credit for successes.
