Social activist Anna Hazare on Tuesday sought clarification from his former associate and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal over the alleged misuse of his name in AAP’s election campaign for gaining electoral benefits, even as Kejriwal claimed that some “vested interest” were misinforming Hazare about the AAP.
With question raised about the misuse of funds — raised during the Jan lokpal movement spearheaded by Anna — in the AAP election campaign, Kejriwal said he was willing to talk to Hazare but he was not being allowed by the veteran’s aides. Meanwhile, Hazare also took exception to Kejriwal making public the personal communication between the two wherein he had questioned the source of funding for AAP’s campaign for the Delhi Assembly Elections.
Hazare, however, said the two are ‘not enemies’ even as he was deeply concerned about ‘misuse’ of his name in the poll campaign. “We are not enemies. Some delegations told me that SIM cards were issued in my name during the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement, the sale of which led to collection of funds. I have no (SIM) connection in this regard but if somebody files a case then I may be made an accused. This is what I am worried about that without having any connection to it, my name could be dragged,” Hazare told reporters in his village Ralegaon Siddhi in Maharashtra. “I had some doubts, so I wrote to him. The letter was a personal communication and it was he (Kejriwal) who made it public,” said Hazare.
He had written a letter to Kejriwal saying he had received reports about use of his name in election campaign, use of fund collected during the anti-graft movement and on implementation of Jan lokpal Bill on December 29 after convening an open session at Ramlila Maidan. “They say that they will pass Anna Hazare’s Janlokpal bill in Ramlila Maidan on December 29. Here again they are using my name and I did not understand that how are they claiming to pass a bill in assembly which can be passed only in Parliament,” Hazare said.
In the meanwhile, seeking to hit at Aam Aadmi Party’s probity plank, Congress on Tuesday alleged its founder Arvind Kejriwal had attempted to keep with himself government funds to the tune of Rs 9 lakhs. “Aam Aadmi Party may perhaps be the first party whose founder was accused of trying to retain government funds to the tune of Rs 9 lakh,” Congress general Secretary Shakeel Ahmed told reporters.
Amid signs of increasing friction between Anna and Kejriwal, the latter alleged that Hazare aides were not allowing him to talk to his ‘guru’ despite his several attempts. His allegation came even as Hazare said that he was ready to talk to Kejriwal. “I have told him (Kejriwal) that I am ready to talk. I did not know that he wanted to talk. If he wishes so, I am ready to talk,” Hazare said, adding that he would not engage in poll campaign for any party.
AAP leader Kumar Vishwas, who returned from Ralegan Siddi on Tuesday after handing over Kejriwal’s reply to Hazare, alleged that Hazare was being misinformed by someone from Delhi on his name being used by Kejriwal.