Hazare’s lawyer writes to Moily over statements on RTI

Reacting to an interview of Veerappa Moily about RTI and its effects published in The Indian Express on Sunday, Anna Hazare’s lawyer Milind Pawar has written to Moily stating that his statements were in contradiction to the promise made by Union government to Hazare. Moily had stated that the RTI transgresses into independent functioning of the government. A copy of the letter has also been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office.

The interview, which was published on September 25, quotes Moily as saying, “In the context of RTI exposures, people are misreading things. Transparency, yes, but it cannot scuttle the independence of individuals and ministries expressing difference of opinion. It’s time for a national debate on this issue.”

The letter to Moily says Hazare had undertaken a fast in 2007 for RTI, during which the Central government had promised transparency through RTI. “‘The public has a right to know the decisions made by ministers. There is no need to amend the Act or bring about a fresh discussion on the same,” it says. Pawar said the \letter had been sent in consultation with Hazare.

Anna Hazare sends legal notice to Manish Tewari

PUNE: Manish Tewari's public expression of regret for his outburst against Anna Hazare has failed to cut much ice with the anti-corruption crusader, who on Thursday sent a legal notice to the Congress spokesman seeking a written apology for calling him corrupt from "head to toe".

Hazare's lawyer Milind Pawar sent the notice by email and registered post to Tewari on the instructions of the Gandhian. Pawar had earlier said a defamation case would be filed against the Congress MP in a Pune court for casting aspersions on Hazare.

The notice calls upon Tewari to "apologise with written application by you and on behalf of your party, undertaking not to commit such false imputations and defamatory statements (about Hazare) in future".

It says the Congress leader had committed offence under sections 499 and 500 of IPC by his defamatory references to Hazare.

The Gandhian was targeted by Congress for the first time after Tewari cited the Sawant Commission Report and accused him of being "steeped in corruption from head to toe".

"The Sawant Commission ripped apart the moral core of Hazare as it found him steeped in corruption from head to toe," Tewari had said.

Facing public criticism for attacking Hazare, the Congress leader, who disappeared from TV screens for several days in the wake of the comments, resurfaced and expressed his regret.

Hazare’s lawyer to send legal notice, seek written apology from Tewari

Anna Hazare’s lawyer Milind Pawar has said he will be sending a legal notice to Congress MP and spokesperson Manish Tewari this week, seeking a written apology for his remarks against the social activist. Tewari had alleged that Hazare was “steeped in corruption from head to toe” in the run-up to the latter’s fast at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi.

Earlier, Pawar had announced that he would file a defamation suit against Tewari. The decision to send the legal notice was taken after he had a meeting with Hazare in Ralegan Siddhi on September 2, the day on which the latter addressed a gram sabha in his native village for the first time after the fast. “Though Tewari had expressed regret for his statement, Anna instructed me to send the legal notice this week. This will deter anyone else from making false allegations,” Pawar said.

The notice will be sent by e-mail and registered post. “If we fail to get a reply to the notice within the stipulated time, we shall file a private criminal complaint against Tewari under Sections 499 (whoever, by words either spoken or intended to be read, or by signs or by visible representations, makes or publishes any imputation concerning any person intending to harm, or knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm, the reputation of such person, is said, except in the cases hereinafter expected, to defame that person) and 500 (whoever defames another shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both),” he said.

Hazare had earlier filed a defamation suit against former minister Suresh Jain on June 23, 2003, who had also levelled corruption charges against him. Hazare had, in his application, asked Jain to prove his allegation that he had defrauded a bank to the tune of Rs 75 lakh. The case is pending before the Pune court.