Yes, we backed Anna's stir, says RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday took a swipe at senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and advised him to know the organisation better before making comments on it.

Declaring that Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement was actually supported by the RSS, Bhagwat invited the Congress general secretary to see the saffron organisation functioning to understand it. In the process, he even took a swipe at the septuagenarian Gandhian.

"...Yes, RSS is supporting it (Anna's movement). What is the problem in taking RSS's support? Do you know what RSS is? See it from inside for two years... Anybody can come and go, there is no restriction. If you find it good then it is fine, or make your comments," Bhagwat said.

Bhagwat's statement comes in the wake of a string of attacks by Singh against Team Anna's movement and the RSS.

Road ahead for Team Anna is strewn with obstacles

The highly popular Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption campaign seems to be losing sense of direction under the weight of many internal contradictions. Team Anna, at the beginning of the campaign earlier this year, looked to be rock solid. They were successful in painting an impression that the core team led by supposedly a saintly person consists of dedicated men and women of the highest integrity.

Their unique selling proposition was that these ‘selfless’ campaigners are solely driven by the deepest desire to get rid of corrupt and immoral practices from the system and society. Team Anna challenged the clique of power-drunk politicians after a series of corrupt scandals surfaced in quick succession. The enormity of corruption in the 2G scandal is mind boggling. Still what greatly exasperated the Indian masses was the insult of the Commonwealth Games.Politicians-turned-sports administrators are accused of siphoning hundreds of crores.

Moreover the utter mismanagement of the Games had made the country of more than a billion people laughing stock before the entire world. It was truly disgusting to see street dogs roaming in the games village and plaster falling down from athletes’ rooms just few days before the start of the games. The enraged reaction of the masses, which in a way was the people’s vote of no-confidence against corrupt politicians, was the reason for the instant popularity of the anti corruption campaign. Anna Hazare’s persona also helped in building the momentum. Team Anna misconstrued this as the unquestioned and everlasting support for Anna’s leadership and few people around him.

Team Anna challenged powerful politicians; they should have been prepared for a strong rebuttal. The politicians were almost painted as petty criminal, it was quite obvious that the rulers will also try to explore and exploit the chinks within Team Anna.

Ordinary human beings can never be infallible but few members of Team Anna wrongly considered themselves to be extraordinary. Understandably, these men of flesh and blood — like us all in the society — are weak and vulnerable to the temptations of power.

Team Anna’s real problem is not issues like inflating travel bills or plunging to politics by running anti-Congress campaigns in the elections. Ordinary people are guilty of overreach. Few influential members of Team Anna have assumed that they not only can clean the entire system but have the capability as well as the people’s mandate to dwell on any issue under the sun.

It is a well-known fact that Anna Hazare is a simple man; he lacks nuanced understanding of complex issues. The Congress party’s accusations that Anna’s anti-corruption tirade is an RSS sponsored movement had dampened the spirits and narrowed the scope of the wholehearted participation of minorities in the anti-corruption movement. Yet the movement was thought to be a sane cause. Majority of the civil society and intelligentsia was prepared to overlook these well founded allegations in the expectation that Anna’s campaign may eventually help to clean the system.

It is highly inappropriate to compare Anna Hazare with Gandhiji. For that matter, credit also goes to Anna for accepting that he is only worth of sitting at Gandhiji’s feet. As a matter of fact, Anna Hazare’s place is not even at Gandhiji’s feet. What does a person threatening to participate in a war have to do with the apostle of peace who sacrificed his life at the altar of his conviction? The debate on whether Pakistan is India’s enemy is useless. India and Pakistan have fought many wars and the risk of another war can never be eliminated, such is the nature of their relationship. Still a true man of peace can never aspire to participate in bloodshed; instead he will like to shed every drop of his blood to forge peace as Gandhiji did. Similarly, whether Kashmir is an integral part of India is not an issue. The Indian army has so far successfully frustrated all efforts to annex Kashmir by force. But is it not a reality that the use of indiscriminate force has not been able to win the hearts and minds of Kashmir’s people? Instead of hauntingly declaring that Kashmir is an integral part of India and washing his hands from the intractable conflict as Anna Hazare did, a true messenger of peace will always try to work for peace and reconciliation.

Anna supporters slam Diggy's statement

LUCKNOW: Anna Hazare might be observing a 'maun vrat' (vow of silence), but his supporters slammed Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh for making alleged 'defamatory propaganda' against anti-graft crusader.

"Singh is trying to prove that the RSS is behind Anna's anti-corruption movement. He has produced a RSS functionary's letter in support of his allegations. But, is he having any proof to show that Anna asked RSS for support," said Ishita Singh, a student. She also said that Singh accused Anna of observing maun vrat to avoid uncomfortable questions on Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, who is in jail on charges of corruption. But, Singh forgot that Team Anna member Justice Santosh Hegde, former Karnataka Lokayukta, is responsible for Yeddyurappa condition.

Blaming a section of the media, Arif Siddiqui, a teacher, said, "A section of media is prominently showing the statements of RSS leaders on supporting Anna's movement, but has played down the report on Muslims in Lucknow praying for Anna's success in the last Friday prayer before Eid," he said.

"Interestingly, Singh has also contradicted his own statements. He says that 20% of the people in the Ramlila ground, where Anna observed fast, were RSS members. This means that 80% people were from other background. Hence Anna has support of all sections of the society," he added.

Shailendra Pandey, a research scholar, said Singh has accused Anna of playing in the hands of communal forces. "Delhi Police, which is under the Centre killed two terrorists in 2008 Batla House encounter. Mohan Chandra Sharma, a police officer, killed in the encounter, was honoured with Ashok Chakra by the UPA government. But Singh says that encounter was fake. Either Singh is right or the government. It raises doubts that the government is appeasing Hindus through encounters and Singh is playing politics with Muslims by declaring it fake," he said.

Social activist Manjul Upadhayaya said, "Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal's suspicion is correct that attack on another Team member Prashant Bhushan on his 'plebiscite in Kashmir' remark was a conspiracy of people who have been hit by anti-graft campaign. Bhushan only reiterated what India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru said in 1947. Attack on Bhushan took place three weeks after issuing statement. Kejriwal has been threatened. Protests are being held outside his house accusing him of not declaring record of public donation received for campaign."

Jagriti Singh a housewife, said, "Anna fought against corruption in Maharashtra both under BJP and Congress regimes. But Singh accuses Anna of saying nothing against BJP. Also, Singh has said that Anna has done nothing about corruption in UP. My question to Singh is why CBI, which is under the Centre government, has not taken action against UP chief minister Mayawati and former chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on charges of corruption." She also alleged that the Congress-led UPA government has been misusing CBI to arm twist political rivals.

Bina Shukla, a private executive, was of the view that UP chief minister Mayawati is better than Congress. She has taken action against six ministers after their names figured in corruption and were indicted by the Lokayukta. Even if it is a posturing, at least Maya has done something, whereas Delhi chief minister did nothing against the ministers indicted by Lokayukta. According to Anshumali Sharma, a Team Anna member in Lucknow, Rahul Gandhi is reaching out to Anna, which shows that Congress is afraid of anti-corruption movement, which led to embarrassing defeat of its candidate in by-elections across the country.

Through the third eye: Anna's campaign in the Hisar has come as a blessing in disguise for anti-Bhupinder Hooda groups

Team Anna Hazare's anti-Congress campaign in the Hisar LS bypoll has come as a blessing in disguise for the anti-Bhupinder Singh Hooda groups in the Haryana Congress. Hooda had angered a powerful Congress section when senior leader and the then-chief ministerial aspirant Birender Singh 'mysteriously' lost the last assembly poll. Though Hooda denied having a hand in the 'ambush', his inner-party rivals never trusted his word.

This time, Hooda pushed through the candidature of Jai Prakash even though Singh had met Rahul Gandhi with an offer that his IAS son was ready to quit and contest on the Congress ticket. Many local Congress leaders are also opposed to Prakash, known to change parties every poll season. The joke in Congress circles is that since Anna seeks to take credit for defeating the Congress, anti-Hooda Congress leaders can now do their own act without risking the 'internal sabotage'.

Bhagwat vows to support fight against corruption

Gorakhpur: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that his outfit would back any movement against corruption.

Addressing a gathering here on Sunday, Bhagwat said: "The RSS workers will always stand by the side of any person who is fighting against corruption. We are supporting it".



Earlier, Bhagwat had said that RSS volunteers had actively taken part in the movement led by social activist Anna Hazare against corruption without craving for position and credit.

Meanwhile, former RSS chief KS Sudarshan has slammed senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh.

"I don't want to make any comment on the statements made by Digvijay Singh. Everybody knows that the central point of corruption is the foreigner Sonia Gandhi. He (Digvijay Singh) would never make a comment on her. So, let him speak whatever he feels like," Sudarshan told the media in Bhopal.

Digvijay Singh on Friday said that he stood vindicated after Mohan Bhagwat's admission that his outfit has backed Anna Hazare's agitation.

"Well, I have always held that Anna Hazare's campaign and Baba Ramdev's campaign have been planned, engineered, organised by the RSS and I still hold to that. I am very happy that Mohan Bhagwatji has accepted this fact in his Dussehra speech in Nagpur. So, my stand is vindicated. And also at the same time, whenever I said that Anna Hazare's campaign is being run by RSS, Anna always tells me to go to a mental asylum. I don't know whether I should go now or not," Singh said.

RSS dismisses claims it was behind movements by Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev

AMRITSAR: Alleging that "those in power" had tried to divert attention from "real isssue" by claiming that RSS was behind the movements by Anna Hazare and Ramdev, the saffron outfit today said its workers had supported the activists "just as other ordinary people of the country".

"The impromptu support that common people have offered to social reformers like Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev is the direct result of their frustration," RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav said here.

Delivering a lecture, he said, "The people in power have behaved in a predictable fashion. In an attempt to pass the buck and divert the attention of people from real issue, they started to blame RSS for these movements.

"RSS workers supported Anna and Baba Ramdev just as other ordinary people of the country," said, adding that the workers will also support L K Advani during his upcoming Rathyatra.

He said that political corruption needed to be investigated at all levels beginning from the top and thus a strong Lokpal was the need of the hour.

Batting for inclusion of Prime Minister in the ambit of Lokpal, Madhav said as a member of the cabinet the prime minister was just first among equals and "thus like any other minister the office of PM naturally fell within framework of Lokpal".

On electoral reforms, he said the two key issues of provision of right to recall the elected representative and government funding of the elections needed to be debated and could go a long way in checking corruption during and after elections.

He also said that unlike in western democracies where elected representatives "were all powerful in the House and on par with common man outside it, in India members of parliament or state assemblies enjoyed little political freedom and were bound party whips.

"This whip system in parliamentary democracy also needs to be debated," he said, adding political reforms are needed to address atmosphere of gloom in the country.

RSS to actively support Advani's yatra against corruption

NEW DELHI: RSS on Wednesday said its volunteers will "actively participate" in BJP veteran L K Advani's proposed yatra against corruption.

"The Sangh has already asked its Swayamsewaks (volunteers) to actively support all initiatives and actions against corruption. They had earlier extended support to Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare in their campaigns against corruption. Similarly, Swayamsewaks will actively participate in L K Advani's campaign," RSS leader Ram Madhav told reporters here.

He was asked to comment on the meeting between Advani and RSS Sar Sanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat in Nagpur this morning. Madhav said Advani spent some time at the RSS headquarters and discussed the situation in the country as also his proposed yatra against corruption.

Advani earlier claimed he had met RSS chief Bhagwat to seek his blessings for the yatra.

"I met the RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat and asked for his blessings. He gave me his full support and blessings and wished me all the best for the yatra," Advani said.

Making light of his meeting with Bhagwat, Advani said he keeps talking to him "informally". "We meet whoever can make a big contribution to the yatra," he said.

He also met BJP President Nitin Gadkari recuperating after undergoing a bariatric operation on September 12 to enquire about his health.

"The BJP President will come to Delhi on September 24. I have asked him to make the announcement about the yatra. By then, the plan details will also be chalked out," Advani said.

Giving details of his proposed Yatra, Advani said it is likely to start on October 11, the birth anniversary of veteran socialist leader Jaiprakash Narayan from his village Sitabdiara in Bihar's Saran district.

Advani said he was prompted to take out the yatra due to the 2008 cash-for-vote scam and the washout of the Winter Session of Parliament in 2010 over opposition demand for a JPC probe into the 2-G spectrum scam

Anna Hazare's remarks on Advani upsets RSS

The RSS, which was said to be the force behind Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement, is not happy with the Gandhian crusader.

The reason is Hazare's recent criticism of the BJP in general and party veteran L. K. Advani in particular.

The Sangh was confident that the groundswell generated by Hazare would help the BJP in its election campaigns, especially in Uttar Pradesh.

However, if the feeble signals of the Anna camp actually floating a political party turn real, it would be bad sign for the BJP.

‘Anna has no RSS, BJP link... he’s non-political’

Union Science & Technology Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh played a key role in defusing the emerging political crisis caused by Anna Hazare’s fast. It was his direct contact with Hazare that proved to be the clincher in breaking the standoff between the government and Team Anna. The former Maharashtra CM was in a relaxed mood on Sunday as he talked about the lessons learnt and challenges ahead in an interview with D K Singh.

Anna Hazare has said it is only half-victory and he now plans to go a countrywide tour. What do you think are the challenges ahead for the government?

Whatever we have promised, we have to deliver. Unless the whole process (passage of Lokpal Bill) is complete, he will follow it, track it and get things done. I know him for a long time. He is a taskmaster. He will not give up. He got three-four laws enacted in Maharashtra. All his demands are in public interest and so nobody can say no to him. So far as his three demands are concerned, there is unanimity over this. How to put them in the constitutional framework is the job of the Standing Committee and the Parliament.

But his nationwide tour is sure to have wide ramifications for your party and the government. What will be your course of action?

He has got overwhelming support from all over the country. He will at least go to those people to thank them. He has no political ambitions. He is a simple person. In Maharashtra Assembly elections earlier, he identified some honest and good candidates irrespective of their party affiliations and supported them. But he is not into politics and elections. I don’t know about this time though. He has always been a social worker. He has no personal agenda. His movement is positive.

But your party called him a ‘mukhauta’ of the RSS and the BJP. Do you agree?

He has absolutely no connection with the RSS or the BJP. He is a secular person with Gandhian thoughts and values. Similarly, he is neither pro or anti-Congress. He is a non-political person who will fight against whoever is in power.

How and when were you roped in to hold a dialogue with him and what transpired in your first meeting with him?

The day the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the entire Lok Sabha appealed to him to break his fast, I thought it was perhaps time for me to meet him and inquire about his health. So, I informed the Finance Minister, who approved it. When I met him (Anna), I told him that it was time for him to break his fast as he was at his peak and the entire country was looking up to him. I told him, ‘you not only have to get a strong Lokpal Bill passed, but have to also see how it is implemented’. He said he had three demands, which were very important because the common man is suffering. He said if the government discussed these demands in Parliament, he would break his fast.

He did not want any resolution or voting...

No, he said that the moment discussions start in Parliament, he would break his fast. I then briefed the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister about this. They asked me whether I was sure that he would break his fast if the demands are met. The rest are matters of details.

So, when did this demand for a resolution and voting come up? What was your biggest worry yesterday?

The demand for voting came from his team later. At around 4 pm yesterday, he called me up and said that somebody had told him that no resolution was coming, nor any voting happening. I then explained to him that if there was a unanimous resolution, voting was not required. I said whatever we have promised, we will deliver. He was satisfied. I told him that it was the question of a Maharashtrian’s (Deshmukh’s) prestige and there should not be any last-minute problems. It was not to be because we have such a long association.

That brings us to the role of his team. Yesterday, many MPs alleged that Anna was being misled by those surrounding him. Did you also feel the same way?

I don’t know. I always met him and spoke to him one-on-one. It was only yesterday when I went to deliver the Prime Minister’s letter that he introduced me to Arvind Kejriwal and others.

So, you didn’t feel that he was being misled by his team members...

He has a mind of his own and I am sure he must have learnt a lot of things this time. Yesterday, when I handed over the PM’s letter and he read it, he said that he would break his fast and I should go to the dais and read out the letter. It was only after he had already taken a decision that he called the others to inform them. I was always dealing with him directly and was in touch with him on phone.

Anna has already talked of the next stage of his fight over demands like right to recall, right to reject, etc. How will you meet this challenge?

Things like electoral reforms are already under consideration of our government. So, there is no question of any challenges.

What have you learnt from the entire episode? Do you think the government mishandled Anna’s agitation starting from his arrest on August 16?

I cannot comment on this because I was not a part of the decision-making process.

RSS lending support to Anna's campaign?

New Delhi: The RSS has openly come out in support of Anna Hazare's campaign for Jan Lokpal bill. However, team Anna wants this movement to be completely free from any political colour and has disassociated itself with RSS.

But Anna's statement praising Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi few months back has really made the saffron outfit back the movement from the sidelines. Commenting on these speculations Anna said that first the government said BJP is backing our movement then US and finally they would say Pakistan.

In his second leg of the Jan Lokpal campaign, Anna and his team have been extra cautious to rub off any tinge of saffron from the protest this after Anna came in for criticism for sharing dais with RSS leaders when he was fasting at Jantar Mantar in April.

"People should emulate the two chief ministers, Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar," said Anna.
The RSS reiterated this stand on such anti-corrutption campaigns in which it claims its cadres have been actively participating.

RSS General Secretary Sunil Joshi said that they are not funding Anna’s movement.
But for Anna adversaries support from RSS has come handy as they accuse him of drawing support from right wing elements.

Congress Spokesperson Manish Tiwari said that the RSS is group of armchair fascist.

The RSS backing has at times made BJP's position a little difficult though it agrees with some issues raised by Anna like bringing the PM within the ambit of the Lokpal but there are some points of divergence as well. For the moment though, the main opposition party prefers to wait and watch and let government bear the brunt of team Anna's campaign.