Social activist and anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare tasted his first victory on Wednesday, the second day of his fast unto death, when Maratha strongman and NCP chief Sharad Pawar quit the group of ministers (GoM) on the anti-corruption bill.
The 73-year-old’s fast unto death has turned out to be one of the biggest public movements in the past few years with thousands of students, professionals, and filmstars across the country supporting it. Over 200 people have been sitting on an indefinite fast along with Hazare at Jantar Mantar, demanding a strong Jan Lokpal Bill.
The movement may see a few more heads rolling as Hazare and his associates have strong reservations against other GoM members — Veerappa Moily and Kapil Sibal.
When DNA spoke with Pawar, he said he had quit. “There is no provocation. It is just that I am not available due to elections,” he said over the phone. “I am travelling to Kerala and other places.”
But he agreed that Hazare’s objections played a major role in his decision to quit. “I thought why allow discussions on your name, particularly when I have not done anything wrong,” he said. “I conveyed to the PM that I cannot be a part of the GoM.”
Earlier in the day, Hazare slammed the government and the Congress for saying that he had been instigated by some people to sit on an indefinite fast. “It is my experience that when cornered, governments resort to such malicious slandering,” Hazare said. “I am pained that the government, rather than addressing the issue of corruption, is trying to allege conspiracies, when there are none.”
He wrote to the PM saying he was not a kid and such comments were an insult to his intelligence and wisdom. Hazare termed Singh a good man. But “remote control se gadbadi hoti hai “, Hazare said.
He told reporters that he was willing to join any committee if Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was a member of it because a
body without Gandhi would lack powers.
