Patna, April 6: The BJP today came out in support of social activist Anna Hazare on the second day of his indefinite fast in Delhi, demanding implementation of the Jan Lokpal bill.

Hundreds of BJP workers joined a statewide dharna against corruption at Kargil Chowk organised by the party’s state unit. It coincided with the BJP’s foundation day and a programme to demand special status for Bihar.

All the top leaders of the state took part in the dharna. “We are supporting Hazare’s agitation in the public and country’s interest, Lokpal Bill is important to check corruption at higher levels in the government,” said state BJP president C.P. Thakur.

He further said: “Corruption has taken this country behind, especially the black money which the central government has failed to bring back to our country. The same dharna has been organised at the district and block levels today across the state. As far as the protest of Anna Hazare is concerned, I personally support his stand.”

“The whole country is seething with anger at the corruption in this government. BJP will hold rallies in rural areas across the country to increase awareness among people about the various scams. In urban areas and at the district-level, marathons and street plays would be organised to expose the corruption-friendly attitude of the Congress. You talk about 2G scam, Commonwealth Games scam, Adarsh Society scam, everywhere it was the Congress party,” said Thakur.

Earlier, senior BJP leader and deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said: “I also personally support Hazare’s stand and his views. It’s very necessary to curb the corruption at every level.”

The Jan Lokpal bill calls for setting up of lokpal and lokayuktas (in states), independent of the government’s control in order to check corruption in public life. Activists say investigations by lokpals must be completed in a year and there should be a minimum jail term of five years and maximum punishment of life imprisonment. The government’s version, however, recommends a prison term of a minimum of six months and a maximum punishment of seven years for corruption.

Arun Kumar Sinha, the MLA from Kumhrar Assembly seat, said: “Most of the government officials and politicians manage to escape corruption charges. The guilty among them must be adequately punished. The office of the lokpal can probe corruption charges against politicians and bureaucrats holding senior positions in the government.”

BJP state vice-president-cum-party spokesman, Sanjay Kumar Jha said: “Anna Hazare is great man and social activist, now every common man has understood the ill-intention of the UPA government. Scams, which are continuously taking place are not only acting as obstacles in the country’s growth but also giving a bad picture of the nation.”