Fasting for the early passage of the lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare has endorsed the proposed legislation and rejected Aam Aadmi Party’s contention that it is a weak law, but added that he would end his fast only after the anti-corruption legislation was passed in both Houses of the Parliament. In an angry rebuff to AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, Hazare asked him to undertake fast if there were shortcomings in the Bill.
Expressing satisfaction over the provisions of the amended Bill and thanking the Government for it, he termed it as ‘good’ for both the people and the society and hoped lokayuktas will also be set up soon in States to check corruption. Meanwhile, citing the support of the BJP and others to the lokpal Bill, the Congress hoped that UPA’s outside ally Samajwadi Party will reconsider its opposition to the anti-graft measure. “Compliment Rahul Gandhi for coming out strongly in favour of lokpal and Arun Jaitley also for supporting it. Hope SP would reconsider,” Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said on Twitter.
As political players tried to grab credit for making the lokpal Bill a reality after 40 years of wait, in a clear pointer to an irretrievable breakdown of relations between the Team Anna and the AAP, Hazare asked his erstwhile protégé Arvind Kejriwal to launch a fresh agitation to demand steps for the removal of shortcomings, if any, in the amended lokpal Bill.
Reiterating that he was more than satisfied with the modified lokpal Bill tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, Hazare said at Ralegan Siddhi: “I welcome the amended Bill. All the 16 provisions in the amended Bill are of extreme importance. That’s why I feel that this Bill is in the interest of people.” Retaliating to Kejriwal’s allegation that he had been “misguided” by vested interests into accepting the amended lokpal Bill, Hazare said: “May be he himself has not read the Bill. We have achieved whatever we could through our agitation. If he still feels that there are shortcomings in the amended Bill, he (Kejirwal) can undertake a fresh agitation to remove them.”
Hitting out at Team Kejriwal on allegations of mismanagement of funds collected during the Janlokpal movement in 2011, Hazare said: “People ask me that your team members collected a lot of money from people, when you went on a fast in Delhi and Mumbai. They ask me what did I do with the money. I do not want to face similar situation once again. That’s why now we are not asking for donations from people.”
“Whoever comes here has been giving us petty sums like Rs 10, Rs 20 of Rs 50 each to our office. Till yesterday we received as much as Rs 40,000 as donations from people. I have asked my people to keep accounts of money thus received from people,” Hazare said.
Talking to the media on the sixth day of his fast, the Gandhian said: “I do not want to die so soon. I would like to fight further for the society and nation. I want to fight for issues like ‘Right to Reject’, ‘Right to Recall’, empowerment of Gram Sabhas, issues of farmers and labourers. I cannot restrict myself to one issue (lokpal Bill). The moment the amended lokpal Bill is enacted, I will break my fast.”
Hazare also poked fun at his former team member Kejriwal, by saying: “When we went on agitation at Ramlila Maidan, there was instance among our people that all our demands have to be accepted by the Government…” Earlier in the day, former IPS officer-turn-activist Kiran Bedi, who joined Hazare in his fast at Ralegan Siddhi on Saturday, joined issue with Kejriwal and retaliated through tweets: “lokpal is certainly not a Jokepal! Those who term it this way perhaps want to keep the issue alive.”
Her tweets were in response to Kekriwal’s tweets on Saturday. “I am really surprised. How can Anna accept sarkari lokpal BillIJ Sarkari lokpal is a ‘jokepal’. Who is misguiding AnnaIJ It is also interesting to see that both the BJP and the Cong have agreed on this ‘jokepal’,” Kejriwal had tweeted. Meanwhile, Hazare’s aide Suresh Pathare told the media persons in Ralegan Siddhi: “Anna has lost four kilograms since the fast began”.
Former Union Minister Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil called on Hazare and expressed his solidarity with the latter. “I came to meet Hazare in my personal capacity. I request all parties to support his agitation and ensure the bill is passed in the Parliament,” Vikhe-Patil said.