'Anna ki Rasoi': Free food for all at MMRDA ground

As activist Anna Hazare sought to egg on the crowd at the MMRDA ground here to fight for a strong Lokpal bill, a Good Samaritan from Haryana kept them going by serving unlimited free food to all.

Swami Param Chaitanya Maharaj from Jan Seva Sansthan supervised the cooking and serving of food to Hazare supporters since 9 a.m.

"We served poha and tea for breakfast, and puri, sabzi, dal and rice for lunch," Chaitanya Maharaj, who has set up 'Anna ki Rasoi', told IANS.

"We have come prepared to feed 50,000 people in these three days. We have teamed with Mumbai-based Giriraj Seva Samiti and hired local help," he added.

Chaityna Maharaj said 50 India Against Corruption (IAC) volunteers and 60 hired help are working to cook and serve food till midnight.

"My organisation had provided free food to those agitating with Anna at Ramlila Maidan in August and had served over 12,000 people," Chaitanya Maharaj said.

"Here we are expecting to serve many more people as we are the only organisation serving food here. There were five organisations serving free food in Delhi," he added.

Chaitanya Maharaj said best quality raw materials are used to prepare the food.

"We have not compromised on quality. Our donors have been generous enough to provide us the raw materials and we will not spoil their name by serving unhealthy food just because it is in bulk," he said.

Hazare arrived at the MMRDA ground in Bandra-Kurla Complex after a rally from Juhu beach, where he had gone to pay his respects at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi - signalling a symbolic start to his agitation.