No place for violence in anti-corruption movement: Anna Hazare

Social activist Anna Hazare today said there was no place for violence in the anti-corruption movement and he and other members of civil society would take part in the future meetings of Lokpal bill drafting committee.

Hazare, who returned from Delhi this morning, was reacting to yoga guru Baba Ramdev's statement that he would raise a militia to protect his followers from police atrocities.

Talking to reporters at a function at Ahmednagar in Maharashtra, Hazare said, "We would not be with Ramdev if he gives up non-violence. None of us believes in violence."

But the veteran anti-corruption crusader also said that Ramdev's remarks were a reaction to the way the government dealt with his followers at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.

He asserted that he and others would not boycott future meetings of the Lokpal committee and added that they did not attend the June 6 meeting because of the extraordinary circumstances created by the crackdown at Ramlila Maidan.

Hazare also said that he welcomed the demand that assets of members of civil society be probed. "Let everybody's assets be probed. We have nothing to hide. I welcome it."

Countering the argument that he and his colleagues are not legitimate representatives of the people and hence can not dictate policy decisions, he said, "We represent people's sentiments, that is why the public is backing our movement."