Against Cong but not for BJP, says Hazare

A day after PM Manmohan Singh and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh wrote to him, Anna Hazare blogged an explanation on why he is so opposed to the Congress.

In a post titled ‘Opposition to Congress: Why?’, Hazare said all parties are unwilling to tackle graft but the Congress has a greater responsibility as it has ruled for most of the post-Independence period. He stressed that his stand against the Congress does not mean he supports the BJP.

The post has no mention of Hisar, where Team Anna has given a call to voters to defeat the Congress in Thursday’s bypoll.

“Politicians in India are cheating citizens by creating only an illusion of progress... Stringent laws should have been enacted... The Congress, which has ruled most of the post-freedom period, hasn’t done it. It has also failed to implement whatever laws are already in place and is not willing to do it,” he wrote. “If the Congress is not willing to change this scenario by enacting necessary laws to rein in corruption, I am forced to urge people not to send Congress candidates to Parliament and Assemblies.”

He said he would urge people to defeat the Congress in the Assembly polls in five states if the government fails to pass the Lokpal Bill in the winter session.

On the BJP, he wrote, “I want to state clearly that my stand is not influenced by political motive. When I am opposing Congress it doesn't mean I am supporting BJP or any other political party. Parties like BJP are not clean of corruption. Voters should keep in mind the candidate’s character and contribution to the society.”

Cong: Digvijaya’s letter not needed

Hours after Congress leader Digvijaya Singh sent another letter to Anna Hazare, the party distanced itself from him. “After the PM’s letter, I don’t think it was required to send any communication to him,” said Congress spokesman Janardan Dwivedi. Singh, who had on Tuesday sent a letter to Anna questioning his “credentials” for denying the RSS support to his campaign, followed it up with another letter today. He attached a letter from Suresh Joshi to Hazare extending support to his anti-corruption campaign.