Anna draws up plan for new ’Team’

Agencies

New Delhi, 08 November 2011: Noted social activist Anna Hazare will soon restructure the Core Committee of the Indian Against Corruption movement with an aim to give proper representation to all sections of society including the religious minorities and youths.

 

Reports, Monday, claimed that the restructuring of the Core panel is noted Gandhian’s attempt to counter allegations that Team Anna has become a puppet in the hands of few powerful persons, who are misguiding Anna Hazare and giving a political colour to his movement.

 

Talking to reporters in the national capital, Anna said, “We will take all sections in the Core Committee, Dalits, Muslims, Adivasis and all others. Nobody should complain that they were not given a chance. A Core Committee will also be formed at the district level in every city."

 

"Even youth will be well represented. Youth’s power in Committee is extremely necessary. Youths from different communities will be picked for the Committee," he added. Hazare recalled that when the Core Committee was formed there were complaints from some sections they were not given representation.

 

"That Committee was for two-and-a-half months. But the Committee that we will form now will be for a much longer period," he added. Anna also made a scathing attack on the Congress-led UPA government for targeting the key members of his team.

 

“Those who are threatened by the Lokpal movement are attacking my supporters and close aides. They fear that their political career will be jeopardized if a strong Lokpal mechanism comes into effect.”

 

The social crusader also warned that he and his team was not afraid of any one and challenged the government to show any evidence of misconduct or irregularities committed by his team members.

 

“We are not afraid of anyone. The government is free to conduct any investigation against any of our team member but our fight against corruption will continue,” he said. Meanwhile, Congress party has reacted strongly to Anna‘s claims that the government is afraid of the Lokpal movement.

 

Speaking to reporters, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said, “Anna is wrong in saying that Lokpal law alone can eradicate corruption. Anna is wrong in saying that only his path is correct and others (government) are not doing the needful to tackle the issue.”

 

“The corruption can only be removed by initiating a comprehensive policy including the judiciary, government, bureaucracy and police and not merely by passing a law,” Singh said, adding, “No political party whatsoever is afraid of Anna’s Lokpal movement.”

 

It is to be noted that by Anna’s blogger Raju Parulekar last week leaked the contents of his plan to restructure his core committee. Anna then said that he will discontinue his blog after he reaches Ralegan Siddhi, his native village, because he suspected there was a conspiracy against him and his team.

 

The restructuring comes days after Team Anna member Kiran Bedi was accused of air travel fraud and Arvind Kejriwal of diverting Hazare’s campaign money to his NGO. Lawyer Prashant Bhushan kicked up a controversy by advocating plebiscite in Kashmir.

 

The recent seeming flip-flops by Hazare have raised questions about his ability to strategise. Importantly, Team Anna is also approaching retired judges requesting them to become part of a committee to be set up the civil society to probe the allegations against some of its members.