Anna Held Him ‘Corrupt’ Among Panel Members
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: The Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption agitation made its first impact on Wednesday as agriculture minister Sharad Pawar resigned from the group of ministers (GoM) on corruption after being held up as an example by Hazare of a “corrupt” minister who is a member of the government body considering measures to check corruption.
Even as support for Hazare spread across the country with civil society holding sit-ins in several cities, Pawar made his announcement at a public function. However, Hazare was unimpressed, saying he should resign as minister also. “When he (Pawar) was chief minister, I returned the Padma Shri. Our problem has not been resolved by Pawar resigning from the GoM. One Pawar goes, another will come. We want a joint committee,” Hazare said.
Hazare had also made a dig at Kapil Sibal, another member of the GoM on corruption, for seeking to downplay the 2G scam by claiming it caused “zero loss” to the exchequer. Nearly 200 people joined Hazare in fasting at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday, and thousands of students, professionals and activists took out a candle-light procession at India Gate. The Congress’s insinuation that Anna Hazare was protesting at the behest of the ruling party’s opponents appeared to have struck a raw chord with the protestors, leading to Hazare writing an sharply-worded letter to the Prime Minister.
Hazare asked the PM to take credible steps on corruption instead of suspecting the protesters of working at the instigation of others. The anger with politicians was manifest at Jantar Mantar when two leaders, O P Chautala and Uma Bharati, came to show solidarity with Anna but were instead greeted with shouts of “netagiri nahi chalegi” and shooed off.
Apart from former cricket captain Kapil Dev, film icon Amir Khan expressed solidarity with Hazare and wrote to the PM asking him to heed Anna’s views. Ordinary people like 60-year-old Geeta Gupta came from Dehradun to support Hazare. “We can’t sit idle. Anna has shown us the way,” she said. Praveen Sharma, a professor of neurosurgery from Mumbai, said “this is the moment to treat the malaise of corruption.” Beyond anger and passion there was a tension between the government and the agitators.
THE FIRE OF PROTEST SPREADS
BANGALORE 4 techies and MBAs begin hunger fast in support of Anna Hazare
JAIPUR Activist Aruna Roy calls for Lokpal Bill. Hundreds take out candle-light processions CHANDIGARH Support for Hazare swells in thousands across Punjab, Haryana
LUCKNOW Teachers and students begin protests against corruption PUNE Over 300 people on hunger strike, scores of people to reach Delhi
MUMBAI Day-long protest at Azad Maidan. 25 Hazare supporters begin fast Hazare fast: Centre eases up
New Delhi: The Manmohan Singh government, sensing the groundswell of support for social activist Anna Hazare's fast against corruption, appeared to be easing up on Wednesday morning when some ministers said that the government was willing to discuss all matters with Hazare. However, the accusation of him being an opposition stooge by a Congress leader, and the resultant sharp letter from Anna to the PM, seemed to have led to a hardening of positions once again.
Reacting to reports that he is being set up to take on the government, Hazare wrote to the PM that "this is an insult to my sense of wisdom and intelligence. I am not a kid that I could be instigated into going on an indefinite fast." Hazare told Singh to "stop finding faults and suspecting conspiracies", while adding that many of the GoM members on corruption "have such a shady past that if effective anti-corruption systems had been in place, some of them would have been behind bars."
Faced with Hazare's dismissive letter, the government indicated it is not conceding the demand to set up a joint drafting committee on a Lokpal bill. "This is the view of a small section of people. We are willing to listen but cannot be dictated to," said an official source. The pressure is, however, mounting with various "formulae" being informally considered.
Telecom minister Kapil Sibal said the sub-group that met the activists had no authority to commit to any proposal. "They wanted a decision right away, we said you have to wait. We are ready to talk your issues," said Sibal. I&B minister Ambika Soni said the PM initiated a mechanism to consider suggestions from civil society activists on the Lokpal Bill. "That shows the credence attached to it," she said.
Law minister Veerappa Moily said "even on the demand for a joint committee, we said we were open. We never closed our mind...In principle we did not say no." The bill could be brought to Parliament next session.
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