Lashing out at the government for calling him corrupt, Anna Hazare dared it to file an FIR against him to prove the charges levelled against him and said he would end his indefinite fast only when an inquiry clears his name.
Team Anna also promised to make public details of its funds within 24 hours. It challenged the Congress party to declare its source of funding and the names of donors of last five years within 24 hours. The government’s multi-pronged attack on Sunday came just 48 hours ahead of Anna’s scheduled fast from August 16. After failing to persuade him from desisting to fast, the government has gone on offensive. It dared him to fight elections.
Anna also happens to be last of Team Anna to be maligned.
When the joint drafting committee was formed in April, government attempted to malign former law minister Shanti Bhushan and his advocate son Prashant Bhushan but failed miserably.
“The charges levelled against me are totally false. Till the time my name is cleared I will continue my fast. They are defaming me,” said Hazare and dared them to conduct an FIR and conduct an inquiry against him. “If anyone can even show a corruption of even Rs100 (related to him)... I will do what they will ask me to,” he added.
Referring to justice Sawant’s report, Hazare said: “It was I who had requested for an inquiry. It was their government. And they were not ready for it. Demanding an inquiry, I sat on fast. That report never called me corrupt.”
Reacting to the government’s dig that Anna’s letter to PM doesn’t look like that of a Gandhian, a visible angry Hazare said: “I follow Gandhian principles but when someone doesn’t listen to that, I can follow Chhatrapati Shivaji also.”
Stating that the government was trying to mislead people, he asked the people to not quit the fight against corruption and said: “We don’t know when such a chance will come again.” Earlier in the day, Congress party questioned their source of funding.
Reacting to that, RTI activist and a key member of Anna’s team, Arvind Kejriwal said: “We will put online our source of funding within 24 hours. We ask them (Congress) to put online their source of funding and anmes of donors in last five years within 24 hours.”
Kejriwal said: “We will go to the Jai Prakash Narain memorial park at 10am on August 16. All those who wants to get rid of corruption, supports Anna and are ready to get arrested or face lathis should reach there. We are ready for anything - lathis, arrest or bullets.”
Former IPS office Kiran Bedi also slammed the government. She said: “Anna has been awarded Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri and if the government doubts his integrity, then they should take back all the honours as integrity was one of the first criteria for such awards.” Meanwhile, yoga guru Swami Ramdev termed government’s attack on Anna as “unfortunate and irresponsible”.
