By IANS,
New Delhi : Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial Rajghat was witness to an unusually large crowd Friday when social activist Anna Hazare made a brief stopover along with thousands of supporters after leaving the Tihar Jail on way to the Ramlila ground.
According to Rajghat officials, about 8,000 people converged at the memorial when Hazare reached there en route to the Ramlila ground, where he continued his protest for a stronger Lokpal Bill.
The crowd that swamped the Rajghat for around an hour and a half surprised the officials. Normally around 10,000 people visit the Mahatma memorial spread over the day.
“I have not seen such a large crowd at a time for a very long time,” Rajghat Samiti secretary Rajnish Kumar told IANS.
Rajghat officials said they did not make any special arrangements as they had no prior information about Hazare’s stopover.
Officials said they faced no problem handling the large crowd.
“The crowd was quite organised. The event was peaceful. Though it included people of all age groups, youngsters dominated the gathering,” Kumar said.
“We welcome all visitors the same way as it is a public place,” he added.