Lokpal bill: Protests outside Rahul Gandhi's residence

NEW DELHI: Hours after Rahul Gandhi disapproved of Anna Hazare's hunger strike, Jan Lokpal supporters protested outside his residence raising slogans for a strong anti-corruption law.

The demonstration lasted for about 30 minutes before police cleared the last protester from outside 12-Tuglaq Lane residence around 4:30 pm, a senior police official said adding around 40 protesters were detained.

The protests came hours after Gandhi, in a speech in Lok Sabha, disapproved of Hazare's hunger strike and said democratic processes should not be weakened by "individual dictates" which could set dangerous precedent and rejected the belief that Lokpal alone would eradicate corruption.

Anna supporters have for the past few days picketed houses of MPs, including Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and BJP leader L K Advani, after Hazare's campaign managers called on people to protest outside residences of MPs.

They had also demonstrated in front of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Race Course Road residence yesterday.