The rift between Team Anna and Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came into the open on Friday, as Anna Hazare pulled up an AAP functionary for interrupting former Army chief VK Singh’s speech and ordered him to leave the village.
A day after the AAP tried desperately to warm up to Hazare by describing him as a “permanent source of inspiration” for the fledgling party, AAP activist Gopal Rai earned the wrath of the fasting Gandhian after he raised an objection to Singh’s criticism of Kejriwal and his supporters. Trouble began on Day 4 of Hazare’s ongoing fast in his home village of Ralegan-Siddhi, after Singh — who was speaking at the venue of the fast — hit out at Kejriwal and his supporters for “deserting” Team Anna and trying to “undermine” the Gandhian, under whose leadership they had taken part in the Jan lokpal movement in the past.
Without naming Kejriwal, Singh launched a broadside on AAP, saying: “Some people deserted Anna and left. Today, it is unfortunate that the same people say that they have to be credited for whatever heights Anna has risen to and not visa-versa. The movement that Anna has built up should not be projected in a poor light”.
“… In simple words, Anna has given a message to the people. A message that has a lot of value. The message is that till we all unite and root out corruption, the nation will not progress. Today, if we have to take our nation forward, we need to unite and not float separate groups and separate entities to sub-serve our personal interests..Isn’t it correctIJ,” Singh asked the crowd gathered at the fasting venue.
AAP activist Gopal Rai — who had joined Hazare in the hunger agitation in the morning and was sitting with the audience — objected to Singh’s criticism of his leader and party. Continuing, an unfazed Singh said: “If you want to argue with me, you can do so later… If what I have said is unpalatable to you, you can talk to me about it later. If you have some misconception, keep it with yourself and not air it in a manner you are doing. let me speak about the wrong things that you have done”. Singh went on to tell the audience: “Whatever you are witnessing now is a sad spectacle”
At this stage, Hazare — who was sitting on the dais —got hold of the microphone and asked Rai to sit down and said: “Gopal Rai, I had made it clear to you yesterday itself not to undertake the fast. You are unnecessarily trying to interrupt Singh in his speech. You can speak after he finishes his speech. If you want to create a scene, you can do so, by going out of the village. The manner in which you interrupting the speech is just not done..”
later, talking to mediapersons, Rai said: “As advised by Annaji, I am leaving Ralegan Siddhi.. But I am not breaking my fast and we will not part ways with Anna”. Targeting Singh for his criticism of AAP and Kejriwal, Rai raked up the incident of the former Army chief sharing the dais with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at a public rally, and said: “The agenda here should be Jan lokpal and people are talking about betrayal. That too, a person who is making rounds of Modi for a ticket to contest elections. Many people are unable to digest our unity and they are poisoning Anna’s ears,” Rai said.
Queried about the growing rift between Hazare and AAP, Rai said: “There is absolutely no rift. As long as Jan lokpal is our common objective, there cannot be any rift between us. We would not have come here if Anna were not fasting for Jan lokpal.
On his part, Singh later defended his decision to share dais with Modi at a public rally. “Yes. It is true that I have shared dais with Modi at a rally of ex-servicemen. I have repeatedly said in the past that even in future, I am ready to share public platform any political party leader - if it serves the ex-servicemen’s cause,” Singh told mediapersons.
Meanwhile, talking to mediapersons in New Delhi, AAP leader Manish Sisodia said that the party had called Rai back to the national Capital. He went on to urge Hazare “not to fall prey to designs of some agents” of the Congress and BJP, who were out to convince the Gandhian that the Select committee-vetted lokpal Bill was good and that he should support it.
“The lokpal Bill which government is trying to get passed is nothing but a jokepal. Because, in reality, all those politicians who have corruption charges would be appointing the lokpal,” Sisodia said.