India's parliament expressed support on Saturday for tougher anti-corruption legislation, the finance minister said, meeting key demands set by a self-styled Gandhian social activist to end his 12-day hunger strike against graft. 

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told both chambers of parliament that there was support for putting forward tougher anti-corruption legislation. There was no vote however, which had been expected. Social activist Anna Hazare, 74, is expected to end his fast on Sunday.

Hazare's anti-corruption protest has rallied much of the population and tapped a groundswell of public anger against endemic corruption, uniting the country's bulging middle-class against the hapless government and underlying voter anger at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.-Reuters