Anna Hazare a Hindutva Project?

If the results of the five state assembly elections have brought a feeling of despondency to the ruling Congress party, the public’s verdict this week should also be making social activist Anna Hazare and his team uncomfortable.

The anti-corruption movement launched by the veteran activist last year shook the political establishment, and in the heat of the moment it was widely assumed that any political party with even the slightest taint of graft would bite the dust at the polls. Team Anna also suggested that parties that had opposed a strong Ombudsman (Lokpal) Bill in the parliament would face the wrath of the people, and they hit the campaign trail to ensure that this would be the case.

But the election results have instead not just highlighted the limits of their particular stripe of activism, but placed a question mark over the motivations of such agitations generally.

The Samajwadi Party (SP), swept to power in Uttar Pradesh, has been critical of the Anna Hazare movement, and was instrumental in blocking the introduction of the Ombudsman Bill in the upper house of parliament. But the SP has also been hit by numerous allegations of corruption, including an SP candidate who was jailed.

The results in the neighboring state of Uttrakhand were also telling. This was the only state that was pressured by the anti-corruption movement to pass the Anna Hazare version of the Ombudsman Bill. Anti-corruption crusaders spent much time there during the election trying to mobilize support for the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and its chief minister for bringing the landmark legislation. But B.C. Khanduri not only lost his seat, but saw his party come in second to the Congress.

Even in Punjab, where the BJP allied with a bigger regional partner to retain power, it lost several seats in the urban constituencies that were the focus of the Hazare campaign. The BJP, which thrives on the urban vote, couldn’t take advantage of the anti-corruption campaign, and ceded ground to its rival the Congress, which was the target of the whole Anna movement.

The attempted mobilization over the issue of corruption seemed aimed more at targeting the Congress, rather than corruption. Indeed, newspapers and magazines have written extensively about how anti-corruption activists were given active support by local BJP and other Hindutva organizations in the elections. English weekly Open even ran a cover story a couple of weeks back describing Team Anna as the “BJP’s Team B.”

This shouldn’t be surprising – key players in the anti-corruption movement, including Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi, openly hobnobbed with the BJP and other rightists. These elections have therefore exposed the hypocrisy of the anti-corruption crusaders and brought into the open the hidden agenda behind the agitation.

The anti-corruption brigade are increasingly looking like part of a Hindutva project motivated not by a good cause, but by a desire to capture power in New Delhi by displacing the Congress party.

Rahul Gandhi meets Lucknow villagers

Lucknow:  Anna Hazare is in Delhi today, hitting out at Rahul Gandhi for a weak Lokpal but the Congress leader left the capital for Uttar Pradesh.

After hectic meetings with party workers and candidates in Lucknow on Saturday, he then went on to the Neeva barauli village on the outskirts of the city.

There he held a chaupaal with the villagers who belonged to 'chaurasia' community in the village. The villagers huddled around a bonfire and shared their problems with the Congress General Secretary, who gave them a patient hearing and promised that he would help them.

Anna Hazare says govt has cheated entire country, Congress lashes out at him

NEW DELHI: Accusing Team Anna of "practising an extreme form of intolerance", Abhishek Singhvi, senior Congress leader and chairman of the Parliamentary panel on Lokpal, said attacking those who do not agree with their view is a negation of democracy.

"None of this is surprising. As usual and true to form Team Anna is practising an extreme form of intolerance, namely those who do not agree 100 per cent with their view must be condemned with personal attack and vilification," Singvi said.

He said this is a "negation of democracy" itself because Team Anna has decided that "no one in the nation, be it Parliamentary Committee, Parliament or the Cabinet, can ever disagree with them."

"This is most unfortunate and regrettable," said Singhvi who is also an eminent lawyer and spokesperson of Congress.

His remarks came close on the heels of Anna Hazare's attack on the Committee for its "weak report" on the eve of his day-long fast.

Govt has cheated entire country: Anna 

On the eve of day-long fast to protest against the Parliamentary Standing Committee report on Lokpal Bill, Anna Hazare today said government has "cheated" the entire country and that he will carry on his campaign till next Lok Sabha elections to create awareness against UPA.

The social activist said he suspected that Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi was behind Standing Committee rejecting even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's promise to include the Citizen's charter, lower bureaucracy and establishment of Lok Ayuktas in the states.

"They have cheated the whole country. The Prime Minister had given in writing that these three issues would be brought under the Lokpal Bill...The Prime Minister's letter was thrown into the dustbin. Why this volte face? Is Singhvi's post higher than that of the Prime Minister," Hazare told reporters here.

"There is somebody behind... Who is bigger than the Prime Minister?... We suspect Rahul Gandhi could be behind this... Who else can dare to challenge the Prime Minister? That is why there are these problems," Hazare said, alleging that their intentions are "not good".

He was referring to Standing Committee headed by Abhishek Singhvi which has disfavoured inclusion of Group C and D employees and kept out Citizen's charter and Lokayukta.

Hazare, who will hold a day-log fast at jantar mantar tomorrow, said he will resume his anti-corruption agitation from December 27 and then carry on this for next two years till the Lok Sabha elections.

"We will continue to fight for the next two years. We will move around the whole country before the general elections to create public awareness," he said and asked "Why to retain those who have destroyed the country?"

Anna blames Rahul Gandhi for parliamentary committee's Lokpal report

Ralegan Siddhi/New Delhi:  Anna Hazare today attacked the Parliamentary Standing Committee report on Lokpal, saying it was fooling people while his team questioned its "credibility" saying it had the support of only 12 MPs.

He alleged the report will not help in any way to fight corruption and repeated his charge that Rahul Gandhi was behind the recommendations of the panel.

"The issues remain the same. This means the Standing Committee has fooled the public. Their report does not help in fighting corruption," he told reporters in Ralegan Siddhi.

Renewing his demand for inclusion of the lower bureaucracy under the ambit of Lokpal, Hazare said government wants to bring Group C and D employees under Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). "The CVC is under government, it will do what the government says. Then what is the point," he said.

He also objected to the Standing Committee's recommendation to keep MPs' conduct inside Parliament out of the ombudsman's ambit asking "why are they scared".

"Even a school boy would know that it is a trick," he said.

His colleagues in Delhi, meanwhile, attacked the Parliamentary Standing Committee questioning the credibility of its report.

"Standing Committee had 30 members. Two never attended. Sixteen dissented. So this report is supported by the balance 12. Seven are from the Congress, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Amar Singh and rest from Mayawati's BSP. So much for the credibility of this report," prominent Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal said.

However, panel chairman Abhishek Singhvi had earlier said that a dissent note by an MP does not mean that he or she is against the entire report and they may be expressing their reservations against one or more points.

Hazare, who will be fasting on Sunday in protest against the exclusion of his key demands like bringing the lower bureaucracy under Lokpal, said the government was saying from the beginning that they will bring a strong Lokpal Bill but they have brought a very weak bill.

"Who is behind this? The Prime Minister has written to me.

Pranab Mukherjee wrote to the Standing Committee that Parliament has passed a resolution. But the Standing Committee says it has not received any communication. Is this a government or a trader's shop?" he said.

However, the Standing Committee report made public today clearly mentions that the panel was in the know of the Parliament resolution. "...There was a detailed discussion on the statement of the Minister of Finance on the issues relating to the setting up of the Lokpal in both the Houses of Parliament on the 27th August, 2011," it said.

Hazare said he trusts Parliament but asserted that a "show-off" draft will not help things.

Team Anna also said they will oppose "tooth and nail" the Standing Committee proposals on the ombudsman which they claimed is taking the anti-corruption systems in the country two steps backward.

Claiming that the committee recommendations, if implemented, would increase corruption and disintegrate CBI's functioning, Kejriwal said, "This report takes our anti- corruption systems two steps back. We must oppose this report tooth and nail".

Lawyer Prashant Bhushan said the proposals were likely to increase corruption rather than being able to control it.

Activist Kiran Bedi said, "Damage is done by keeping CBI's investigation powers out of Lokpal - whole reason for the Lokpal? Will Parliament undo?"

Bedi said the fears about diluting the Lokpal were not unfounded.

Rahul diluting Lokpal bill draft, says Anna Hazare

PUNE: Social crusader Anna Hazare  on Friday accused Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi  of diluting the Lokpal bill draft.

He also said he would start an eightday fast at Ramlila maidan from December 27 if the Lokpal bill was not passed in the winter session of Parliament or if a weak Lokpal bill was passed.

Addressing a news conference at his native village Ralegan Siddhi, Hazare said he strongly suspected Rahul Gandhi of "interfering" in the making of the Lokpal draft so that it became weak.

"Gandhi said he wanted the Lokpal to be a constitutional body, but he does not say that there will be no government interference in its functioning. The law about Lokpal must have a provision to rule out such interference," he said.

Hazare said that after his fast gets over, he would tour Uttar Pradesh , Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, which face assembly elections next year.

"I will stage a three-day agitation in each state and tell the people that the government is cheating them. I am aware that the government will not allow me to continue my fast beyond eight days," he said.

The Gandhian reiterated that the government's intention about Lokpal was "not right".

"The Prime Minister gave me a written assurance in August about including lower-ranking government officials within the ambit of Lokpal, having a citizen's charter and setting up a strong Lokayukta in every state on the lines of the Lokpal. Parliament gave a letter to this effect to the standing committee. Still, the promises were not kept. Isn't this cheating?" he asked.

Referring to a statement made by a politician in Delhi that the government will not dance to Hazare's tune, he said, "If anything happens to me during my agitation, the people should hold the government responsible. Even if I die, people will say there was a 'mad man' who always fought for people's causes."

Hazare also reiterated that he wanted the CBI and the Prime Minister within the purview of the Lokpal and also pressed for the right to recall. "The chief election commission had said 10 years ago that there should be a right to recall. I am not raising any new issue", he said.

Anna Hazare to fast in jail if not allowed to protest at Ramlila Maidan

RALEGAN SIDDHI: Anna Hazare today said he will sit on an idenfinite fast in jail if police does not give permission for his proposed protest at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan later this month for a strong Lokpal.

"I will sit on a fast in jail. Who can stop me from going on a fast in jail? Nobody can stop in jail," he told reporters when asked what he will do if police denies permission for holding his fast from December 27 if a strong Lokpal Bill is not passed in the Winter Session of Parliament.

Team Anna has sought permission from Delhi Police for a fast by Hazare from December 27 to June five at the Ramlila Maidan if the bill is not passed in the ongoing Parliament session.

He said he had sat on a fast in Delhi's Tihar Jail in August when the government did not give him permission to sit on a dharna in the capital.

"The plan was to do what they did with (yoga guru) Ramdev. They wanted to take me to airport when I am released from jail. An Air Force plane was ready at the Delhi airport. They would have taken me to Pune..." he alleged.

He said the government's plans got derailed when he refused to get out of jail without being given a site to protest.

Asked whether he was putting pressure on government, Hazare said the protest was not against the government or Congress. "It is not against Rahul Gandhi or Prime Minister," he added.

Yesterday, Hazare had alleged that Rahul Gandhi might have intervened to reverse a Parliamentary Standing Committee decision to include Group C employees under the ambit of Lokpal.

Anna Hazare salvo at Rahul Gandhi for ‘bill dilution’

PUNE: Social activist Anna Hazare on Friday blamed Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi for diluting the Lokpal Bill draft, saying he "strongly suspected'' him of "interfering" in the legislation process to make it weak.

"Gandhi said he wanted the Lokpal to be a constitutional body, but he does not say there will be no government interference in its functioning. The law about Lokpal must have a provision to rule out such interference," Hazare told reporters at Ralegan Siddhi.

The activist threatened to go on an eight-day hunger strike at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan from December 27, if the bill is not passed or a weak legislation is passed during the Parliament's winter session. Hazare said he would then stage a three-day agitation each in poll-bound states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur and tell people that the government was cheating them. "I am aware that the government will not allow me to continue my fast beyond eight days."

The Gandhian accused the government of having "wrong intentions" about the Lokpal and going back on its promises. "The Prime Minister gave me a written assurance in August about including lower-ranking government officials in the ambit of Lokpal, having a citizen's charter and setting up a strong Lokayukta in every state on the lines of the Lokpal," he said.

"Parliament gave a letter to this effect to the standing committee. Still, the promises were not kept. Isn't this cheating?" He said the people should hold the government responsible if anything happens to him during the agitation. "Even if I die, people will say there was a mad man, who always fought for the people's causes."

Hazare reiterated his demand for the CBI and the PM's inclusion in the Lokpal purview besides the right to recall.

Rahul behind Congress U-turn on Lokpal: Anna

New Delhi: In a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare blamed Congress General Secretary for party MP's U-turn in the Standing Committee meeting on the inclusion of Group C bureaucrats under the ambit of Lokpal.

"Rahul Gandhi must have influenced change in decision of exclusion of Group C & D from Lokpal ambit. Rahul had suggested that Lokpal should be made a constitutional body, but then there should not be any government interference," he said.

"Govt has done a U-turn on the inclusion of group C & D employees under Lokpal. The PM had given us a written assurance that government's and Jan Lokpal's aim is the same. If the government is excluding Group C & D employees, then corruption can't be wiped out from the country," he added.

Repeating Team Anna's demand, he said, "EC is a constitutional body. It's been 10 years that there has been a demand for right to reject, but so far government has not agreed. Lokpal should be an independent body, without any government interference. We are asking for CBI out of government control."

On the deadlock in Parliament, he said, "Why blame BJP for non-functioning of Parliament. Government does not have the will. Let the government do its job, let me do my job. If something happens to me, then it will be a blot on the government."

Team Anna will meet in New Delhi for two days in the second week of December to chalk out its strategy for the proposed indefinite protest announced by Anna Hazare demanding a strong Lokpal Bill.

The meeting will be held on December 14 and 15 after Hazare holds a one-day protest in Jantar Mantar on December 11 to protest against the "watered down" report of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Lokpal.
Hazare has already announced that he will sit on an indefinite dharna from December 27 at Ramlila Maidan if Parliament does not pass a strong Lokpal Bill.

Views | Crossing the Rahul line!

Earlier this month a low profile member of Parliament from Kerala, P.T. Thomas, was in the news for his attempted mediation between anti-graft activist Anna Hazare’s representatives and Congress’ apparent future prime ministerial candidate Rahul Gandhi. Thomas had earlier visited Ralegan Siddhi, Hazare’s village, in his “personal capacity” to “learn” about the village and Hazare’s style of functioning. Many party leaders had frowned on the visit, asking if it was proper for Thomas to go there without the permission of his party leadership, especially when there was a growing discomfort between Hazare’s team and the party-led government.

Thomas, who was trying to be an apostle of peace, had to apologize to the representatives from Hazare’s village saying there was a “communication gap.” Because, the ‘proposed’ meeting did not take place after Rahul Gandhi’s office clarified that there was no such meeting scheduled.
Politics is often referred to as the art of the impossible and Thomas tried it in his own way. The fact is that in India no political party entertains such personal overtures. Cadre-based parties like the Communist Party of India-Marxist or Communist Party of India would consider it as anti-party activity, which can even invite disciplinary action. Everyone has to follow the ”party line.”

A former MP of the CPI-M (again from Kerala) A.P.Abdhullah Kutty was thrown out of the party for praising Gujarat CM, Narendra Modi. Kutty, who later joined the Congress and became an MLA, tried to be more progressive than the Party by praising Modi. In the BJP, there have been instances of party leaders airing their differences in public - Yashwant Sinha still survives, Jaswant Singh returned to the party after a brief stint outside. That means, for different parties, yardsticks are different when it comes to crossing the ”party line.”

In Congress too, anti-party comments are allowed or not allowed depending on the stature of the person who makes it. Though a novice in politics, former union minister Shashi Tharoor would have got away with his controversial tweets and comments if the media had not followed them eagerly. Party general secretary Digvijay Singh keeps airing his “personal views.”

In 1965, when Tamil Nadu was protesting against the government in New Delhi, then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri adopted a ‘wait and watch’ policy. Many other senior party leaders including K. Kamaraj, who hailed from Tamil Nadu, decided to keep a distance from the violence-hit state. According to one of her biographers, Indira Gandhi, then information and broadcasting minister --- she was very junior but was made the fourth most senior minister of the cabinet by the PM – “decided to fly down to Madras to quell the trouble, without telling the prime minister about her trip” – a move Shastri termed as ”jumping over his head.”

Indira’s grandson, also has recently attempted to don the cap of a rebel. At a time when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his trusted cabinet colleagues were toiling day and night to make peace with Hazare and his camp, Rahul came down on the activist’s movement during a zero-hour mention in Parliament saying a “tactical incursion, divorced from the machinery of an elected government that seeks to undo the checks and balances created to protect the supremacy of Parliament sets a dangerous precedent for a democracy.” Incidentally it came a day after Singh praised and saluted Hazare and his struggle for an anti-corruption legislation.

By trying to emulate Indira in his own way, what Thomas crossed was not the party-line but the ”Rahul-line.” And, not understanding that was the real ”communication gap.”

Sarpanch of Anna Hazare's village fails to meet Rahul, returns home

NEW DELHI: Upset over not getting an appointment with Rahul Gandhi, the sarpanch of Anna Hazare's village and his colleagues on Tuesday decided to return home saying now even if they get an appointment, the village will decide whether to meet the Congress leader or not.

Congress MP P T Thomas, who had interacted with them and had reportedly fixed the much-talked about meeting, however apologised for the "communication gap" that led to the confusion.

"We have come here after being told that we have an appointment with Rahul Gandhi on October 18 at 9 am. We came here believing the words of the MP. Now the MP says there was a communication gap. We are returning home."

"We have said in our letter seeking appointment with Gandhi that we want to meet him as suggested by the MP. We were contacted by Thomas' office several times. Even Rahul Gandhi's office called the sarpanch several times," Suresh Pathare, a close aide of Hazare, told reporters here.

He said now they are not meeting Gandhi as it appeared that there were some "ego problems" and "the village panchayat will decide whether to meet him if an appointment comes in the future".

His comments came after the six-member team from Ralegan Siddhi led by sarpanch Jaisingh Mapari met Thomas at his residence this morning to sort out the matter. Mapari also claimed that he received several calls from Gandhi's office on the issue of appointment.

Thomas said his office "mistakenly" asked Mapari to come to Delhi after October 15. "There was a communication gap. I apologise to the sarpanch and others for this," he said.

However, he denied Pathare's contention that it was at his insistence that they decided to meet Gandhi.

Thomas said he had gone to Ralegan Siddhi a month back to study the rural development programmes initiated by Hazare there.

"There I interacted with the sarpanch and others during which they suggested that they wanted to meet Gandhi. I assured them whatever help I could do, I will do. They sent a letter which was forwarded to Gandhi's office," he said.

"Unfortunately in my absence, my office asked the sarpanch to come to Delhi. There was a communication gap," he said, adding that he was not trying to get an appointment for the delegation with Gandhi anymore.

Patare said they did not come to Delhi with a political agenda and their proposed meeting had nothing to do with Jan Lokpal Bill, for which Hazare is leading an intensive people's movement.

He said Thomas was impressed with the programmes in Ralegan Siddhi and wanted them to discuss it with Gandhi who is also interested in rural development programmes.

After reports about the meeting came in media, Thomas sought to set right the "confusion" and "rumours" yesterday by issuing a press release saying though the sarpanch and the deputy sarpanch of the village had made a request to him in this regard, no meeting has been confirmed with Gandhi.

Meanwhile in Pune, Hazare's nephew Vinayak Deshmukh said that the Gandhian has not given any invitation to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to visit Ralegan Siddhi.

Reacting to reports that the Gandhian had invited Rahul to visit his native village in Ahmednagar district, Deshmukh told PTI that if the Congress MP expressed his wish to see the developmental work in Ralegan, Hazare would not be averse to it.

"There is no invitation from Hazare to Rahul Gandhi to visit Ralegan...if Rahul shows interest in visiting Ralegan to see various projects there, Hazare would be not averse to it," he said.

Signs of a thaw? Anna Hazare invites Rahul home to Ralegan Siddhi

NEW DELHI: Anna Hazare has invited Rahul Gandhi to Ralegan Siddhi to witness rural development in his village, indicating a thaw in the bitter relations between him and Congress.

"Anna's message is clear that Rahul is welcome to Ralegan. He has high expectations from Rahul about the leadership of the new generation," Vinayakrao Deshmukh, Hazare's nephew, told TOI, quoting the Gandhian.

Vinayakrao, who incidentally is Congress in-charge of implementation of UPA's flagship schemes in Maharashtra, is in the capital.

The improving vibes between the fierce Lokpal campaigner and Congress come amid recrimination over Hazare's "defeat Congress" call in Hisar bypolls. Congress leader Digvijay Singh accused him of carrying out RSS agenda to target the party with a flurry of letters.

But Vinayak said the 'RSS front' charge was baseless. "In our place, when some elder dies, a mourning person does not wear a cap and stays barefoot for 10 days. I still remember when Indira Gandhi was assassinated, Anna did not wear topi and chappal for 10 days, such is his respect for the Nehru-Gandhi family," he said.

In contrast, he said, Hazare was offered a Rajya Sabha nomination during NDA regime but he turned it down.

Vinayak said the slanging match between Congress and Hazare was a result of "bad communication" because the Gandhian was fighting against corruption while Congress leadership agreed with it.

"Anna is never against any party but is only for an issue... I think the days ahead are good for Congress-Anna partnership if a strong Lokpal bill is passed in the winter session of Parliament," he said.

"Now, after PM wrote to him assuring that the bill would be brought in the winter session, he has postponed his UP yatra," he said.

Hazare's nephew said there were no major differences between his uncle and the Congress leadership. "It will be good for Congress in future. Anna can help guide the Centre's rural development programmes through his associations," he said.

Rahul Gandhi road shows to hit UP from Nov 1

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi is likely to hit the campaign trail in Uttar Pradesh from November 1 with road shows and mass-contact programmes. The five-phase blitzkrieg would be the focus of the party's charge on Mayawati's turf where stakes for the April polls are high for the fortunes of Congress and its heir apparent.

The party is likely to target BSP and BJP while not being too harsh on SP. The sentiment of members at the campaign committee meeting on Wednesday suggested that the party would like to leave the door open for a post-poll tie-up. Congress will hold a meeting of candidates on November 16 to seek their views on campaign strategy while a sub-committee will decide on celebrities required for the campaign.

Sources said Rahul was unlikely to hold rallies but would touch voters through road travel and public contact programmes. Alongside, Congress would carpet bomb UP though press conferences of Union ministers who would give details of central funds to highlight the Mayawati regime's failure.

The Congress campaign comes when Mayawati has already pitched her trusted lieutenants on field duty and SP's Akhilesh Yadav is on his 'kranti rath' to mobilize voters. The four-way opposition split with Congress and BJP as marginal forces has raised prospects of a keen battle. Congress is trying for alliance with RLD in western UP.

That Congress fancies its chances in the state where it was reduced to an also-ran post-Babri was evident when committee chairman Sriprakash Jaiswal underlined that the party had started preparations early this time unlike in the past when campaign panels were announced after poll notification.

Rahul's mission 2012 has turned into a challenge in the wake of Anna Hazare's anti-Congress campaign.

Members stressed on the Muslim factor. Zafar Naqvi pointed to the need to spread awareness about central schemes targetting minorities. P L Punia said UP incharge Digvijay Singh's attacks on Hazare's RSS links were pleasing Muslims but the latter would vote on issues and demanded action on Rangnath Misra commission report seeking quota for Muslims on par with SCs.

Raj Babbar argued the need for Congress to tell people that "other parties" had ruled UP for 20 years and were thus responsible for its slide.

Punia stressed on the need for game-changers like MGNREGA and loan waiver, and demanded food law to be brought in the winter session. He said Hazare should have been neutralized in monsoon session itself with quick action on Lokpal bill.

Digvijay slams Asaram Bapu for calling Rahul ‘kid’

Mathura: Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh has slammed religious preacher Asaram Bapu for passing comments against party general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

Bapu had mockingly called Gandhi a ''kid''.

Addressing mediapersons here, Singh said Bapu should refrain from making such comments.



"Asaram Bapu should first decide whether he wants to venture into politics or wants to be known as a religious preacher. A person who belongs to the field of religion should refrain from making such comments. Asaram Bapu should firstly make his intention clear whether he wants to be in politics and fight elections, before that he should not pass such comments and we will openly criticise him," said Singh.

Singh also condemned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for misusing Anna Hazare's name to remain in the limelight of national politics.

"Anna Hazare is an honest and simple man. People are misusing his name. 'I am Anna' caps are being donned by people who are drunkards and corrupt. They are misusing his name and his popularity," added Singh.

He criticised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for arresting an honest and duty-bound police officer like Sanjiv Bhatt.

"Sanjiv Bhatt is an honest and duty bound police officer. He is being punished for speaking the truth. This is a burning example of fascist thinking and fascist government," added Singh.

A generation has not seen Congress rule in UP-Bihar

Can you guess the dilemma of the Congress candidates in Uttar Pradesh nowadays? Not Anna Hazare. Not his campaign against corruption. Instead, it’s the disturbing realisation that a generation has grown up in this politically crucial state without experiencing a Congress rule.

The last when the Congress was in power in Uttar Pradesh was in the late 1980’s. Those born even in mid 1980’s have no clue how the Congress rule was like – better or worse than the political regimes they have grown up with.

Little wonder they mention names of Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav every time discussion on future chief minister crops up. Even the BJP rule they don’t seem to remember as the party changed the leadership thrice – Kalyan Singh, Ram Prakash Gupta and Rajnath Singh. Yes, they do remember the divisive politics of mandal and mandir though.

And even as chief minister Mayawati is busy despatching letters to the prime minister demanding quota for minorities, economically backward upper castes and now Jats, quota in admissions in educational institutions as well as in jobs appeared to be the major concern of youth during campus adda that HT had organised across UP and Uttarakhand. Our idea was primarily to gauge the mood of the youth, how far it is gearing up to cast its vote and what are the poll issues that concern them.

Imagine Congress leaders expect that generation to vote for the party that had not only messed up Anna’s anti-corruption movement but is also favouring extension of quota on religious grounds. We thought quota was meant for socially and economically backward classes irrespective of the faith they follow.

The scenario has been no different in neighbouring Bihar.

I am sure this is not going to be music to Congress ears. With elections not very far off, the Congress will have to do some miracle to break the 20-odd year long vanvas. There is growing feeling that the party trump card Rahul Gandhi can’t ride them to victory. Some concerned voices from the Congress are already suggesting an extensive campaign by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in whom people find the political acumen of her grandmother Indira Gandhi besides the looks. To believe that there was an undercurrent in its favour as people were fed up with the ‘misrule’ of regional parties would be living in fool’s paradise.

A Congress leader in Agra, planning to contest election from an urban seat, confided the other day, “What should we do? People who know us are polite. But they do convey their anger over the soaring prices while reminding us about the scams tumbling out of Congress cupboards.”

The fact is, Anna is not merely haunting the Congress leaders, all other parties stand scared. At a dinner meet recently, politicians virtually rained abuses on Anna while insisting that caste alone would be the driving force in the coming elections. Then why worry?

As the election scenario perks up in the states heading for polls in early 2012, the picture in Uttar Pradesh continues to be hazy, more so about the Congress prospects.

Anna Hazare effect: Rahul Gandhi booed at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital by relatives of the Delhi HC blast victims

NEW DELHI: Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi was booed by angry relatives of the Delhi High Court blast victims, as he made his way into the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital on Wednesday afternoon.

Crowds, which had gathered near the Emergency ward of the hospital, shouted slogans such as "Rahul Gandhi Wapas Jao" (Go back Rahul Gandhi), "Rahul Gandhi kayar hai" (Rahul Gandhi is a coward) as he went into the hospital to meet blast victims.

The slogan-shouting continued even as he met the victims and their relatives. He left the place, after spending around 20 minutes inside the hospital. He had great trouble getting back into his car, when a group of people apparently showed their displeasure over the UPA government's alleged 'soft-on-terror' policy, tried to block his way. SPG personnel shielded him as he got into the car and went to next destination - the blast site at the Delhi High Court.

The scenes at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, and later at the Delhi High Court, political observers said, were a manifestation of popular mood, after the fast undertaken by Anna Hazare in protest against the Manmohan Singh government's refusal to accept the Jan Lokpal bill.

Anna Hazare Is A 'Madari' : Congress

As Anna Hazare has stepped up its campaign against the government, the Congress leaders are using some sort of insulting language against him.

While one of the UPA ministers compared Anna as conjuror (madari) while other described him as a puppet of RSS.

Union Minister Virbhadra Singh during his visit to Mathura described Anna’s fast as ‘madari ka khel” and said one can instantly attract 50,000 people by playing a “damru”.

“India is country of billions of people where any one can instantly attract 50,000 people by just playing a “damru,” Virbhadra said.

Accusing Anna of making mockery of Indian constitution, Singh advised Congress chief not to worry about the support to Anna.


Congress General Secretary BK Hariprasad accused that Anna’s movement was supported by BJP and the RSS.

Addressing an "Adivasi Swabhiman Chetna" rally, Hariprasad said that Team Anna has been defaming Mahatma Gandhi by wearing his caps.

In a related development, about 30 slogan shouting protestors were detained by Delhi police, when they were protesting at Kapil Sibal's official residence. Yesterday also Anna supporters had protested at Sibal's residence. Pranab Mukherjee, who had said that he has nothing to do with it as the matter is being is looked after by the Home Minister, were also in line of fire by the Anna protestors. Today morning around 200 Anna supporters protested at Pranab's official residence at Delhi. Hundrends of people assembled at Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit's official residence in Delhi, shouting slogans demanding enactment of Jan Lokpal Bill.
Meanwhile, Anna’s fast has entered seventh day. Anna's health is deteriorating fast. He has lost 5 kg and ketone particles have also appeared in his blood and urine.