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Monday 31 October 2011

Justice Santosh Hegde says 'I am against political campaigning'


Mumbai, Oct 30 (ANI): Former Justice Santosh Hegde, close associate of India's anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare, on Saturday expressed dissatisfaction over the political campaigning by the other associates of Team Anna.

Hegde said that political campaigning is not the agenda of the movement and is he is completely against it.

"I am against political campaigning. I do not think that is the agenda Anna Hazare has. Anna Hazare's agenda as of now which I know is that for the present is purely constituting a strong Lokpal bill and Lokpal institution. After this may be there are electoral reforms and other things are there in his agenda but right now political campaigning according to me is not there," he said.

The political campaigning done by Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi in a by-poll recently had led to intense 'war of words' between the UPA government and Team Anna, with both sides routinely criticizing one other on a range of issues.

Hedge further said that he supported Hazare only because of his fight to bring an effective Lokpal (Ombudsman) in the country.

"I am with Anna Hazare for only two reasons, one is passing of a strong Lokpal bill and the other is the fight against corruption. I am not in other things," he said.

Of late, certain individuals, political leaders and media reports levelled allegations of corruption on key members and 'faces' of the movement, Kejriwal and Bedi.

The enactment of Lokpal Bill by the central parliament is seen as a weapon to root out corruption and nepotism from the government machinery and in public life.

The proposed Bill envisages the setting up of a national anti-corruption watchdog to check financial mismanagement and corrupt practices that have deeply pervaded several democratic and civic institutions of India.

Hazare and his aides representing the civil society have now stepped up their efforts and are exerting increased pressure on Congress party for the passage of the Lokpal Bill in the upcoming winter session of the Parliament.

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