Veteran social activist and architect of the high pitch ‘anti-corruption campaign’ of 2011, Anna Hazare has written a sharply-worded letter to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attacking his Government’s new Excise Policy.
Hazare, who was Kejriwal’s political mentor, said it seemed that the CM was “sunk in the addiction of power” and there was a gap between what he preaches and practices.
Hazare who along with Kejriwal and other leaders had led a stir for the enactment of a stringent anti-corruption law during the Congress-led-UPA Government, said it seemed the new policy will encourage liquor sale, consumption and spur corruption.
The 85-year-old activist reminded Kejriwal of his earlier stand on liquor vends and the sale of alcohol and cigarettes. He pointed out several villages in Maharashtra where he was successful in stopping or limiting the sale of alcohol. He said he expected Kejriwal to implement a similar policy in the national Capital as well, but that didn’t happen.
“I had expected a similar policy (like in Maharashtra). But you didn’t do it. People seem to be trapped in a circle of money for power and power for money. It doesn’t suit a party that emerged from a major movement”, wrote Hazare.
“You joined us because of the Lokpal movement. Since then, you and Manish Sisodia have visited Ralegan Siddhi village several times. You have seen the work done by the villagers. Liquor, bidis, and cigarettes have not been sold in the village for the last 35 years. You were inspired to see this. You praised this too. The AAP had talked about adopting the political path. But you forgot that forming a political party was not the aim of our movement,” he wrote.
“The policy will spur corruption and this thing is not at all in the interest of the people. But still, you took the decision to bring the new liquor policy. Like addiction to liquor, there is an addiction of power and it seems that you have sunk into it,” Hazare said in the letter.
Last month, Delhi Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the implementation of Delhi’s Excise Policy 2021-22.
Hazare, while citing the complete liquor ban in his village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district, asked Kejriwal to recollect the latter’s book ‘Swaraj’ written in 2012 which favoured liquor ban.
The activist, who had penned the book’s foreword, said he has written a letter to Kejriwal for the first time since he became CM and that it pains him to read reports about the Delhi Government’s new Excise Policy.
“You wrote several idealistic things in the book. Everyone had hopes from you but it seems that after becoming the CM, you forgot that ideology and that is why the Delhi Government came up with a new liquor policy,” he said.
It seems with the new policy, liquor sales and consumption will get encouraged and liquor shops could be opened everywhere.