Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Friday said he had doubts about Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's intentions on eradicating corruption from the country. He suspected the party's heir apparent as the main roadblock to a strong Lokpal.
In an interview to Headlines Today's Ashok Singhal in his village Ralegan Siddhi, the Gandhian said that in the UPA government he found only Prime Minister Manmohan Singh serious about a strong Lokpal bill.
"The prime minister seems to be serious about Lokpal otherwise he would not have given in writing after passing three resolutions in Parliament," Hazare said.
"Half of the members in the standing committee were accepting the Jan Lokpal draft. The standing committee chairman also agreed and prepared a report accordingly, but again changes were made. That means there is some pressure on the committee to make changes. It must be on Rahul Gandhi's interference. Sonia Gandhi is unwell so she cannot interfere," he said.
"Since Rahul Gandhi has spoken on the matter, we have doubts that he is pressuring them (committee members). Rahul Gandhi doesn't want to end corruption from the country. If corruption ends, then their powers will reduce. And they don't want that to happen," he added.
Hazare also defended his team members Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal over the allegations of irregularities made against them daring the government to act against them and punish them if they were guilty.
Clarifying on the alleged financial irregularities by his associates, particularly Kiran Bedi, he said, "That was not corruption. There could be some irregularity but not corruption. It would have been corruption had she have spent the money at home. If government is so confident that they (Team Anna members) are corrupt then why doesn't it conduct an enquiry through any of its agencies and punish them?"
Renewing his warning to the government, the Gandhian said, "The government will have to accept people's demands. Those demands are not incorrect. We have to make this country free of corruption. Poor people of the country are fed up of corruption. If they don't accept the demands, people will again stand with us. I will tell people of five states, where elections are going to be held, that this government is not serious about eradicating corruption. Why to keep such a government?"
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