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.
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