New Delhi: Describing Anna Hazare`s campaign
as `brahminvaad`, activist Swami Agnivesh on Sunday hit out at the
Gandhian saying there was "no democracy" in his agitation and
dissenting voices were thrown out of the team.
Agnivesh, who was marginalised by Team Anna as they
suspected him to be a "government mole", also claimed that the
RSS stamp was "very much evident" in the campaign and that he
had argued for better representation of Muslims and Dalits to
counter this.
He said many of the crucial decisions like opposing
Congress in Hisar elections and holding referendum in Union
Kapil Sibal`s constituency were not taken by core committee
and it was like "Anna and Arvind (Kejriwal) were taking all
decisions".
Claiming that he had argued for better representation of
Muslims and Dalits in the anti-corruption, Agnivesh said, "It
was brahminvaad. They were not ready to treat everybody as
equal. We did not see Dalits or Muslims in Jantar Mantar or
Ramlila Maidan where Anna sat on fast".
New Delhi: Describing Anna Hazare`s campaign
as `brahminvaad`, activist Swami Agnivesh on Sunday hit out at the
Gandhian saying there was "no democracy" in his agitation and
dissenting voices were thrown out of the team.
Agnivesh, who was marginalised by Team Anna as they
suspected him to be a "government mole", also claimed that the
RSS stamp was "very much evident" in the campaign and that he
had argued for better representation of Muslims and Dalits to
counter this.
He said many of the crucial decisions like opposing
Congress in Hisar elections and holding referendum in Union
Kapil Sibal`s constituency were not taken by core committee
and it was like "Anna and Arvind (Kejriwal) were taking all
decisions".
Claiming that he had argued for better representation of
Muslims and Dalits in the anti-corruption, Agnivesh said, "It
was brahminvaad. They were not ready to treat everybody as
equal. We did not see Dalits or Muslims in Jantar Mantar or
Ramlila Maidan where Anna sat on fast".
A number of Team Anna members, who attended the
September 10-11 Core meeting in Hazare`s village Ralegan
Siddhi, said that there no decision was taken to oppose
Congress, he claimed.
On allegations that he was a "government mole", Agnivesh
said how can Team Anna assume so when he himself opened the
doors of World Council of Arya Samaj office in Sadar Bazar in
north Delhi to keep the referendum questionnaire to be
distributed in Chandni Chowk, Sibal`s constituency.
"There was no Core Committee decision to hold a referendum
in Chandni Chowk. But one day Kejriwal told me they don`t have
space to keep the questionnaire.
"I opened the doors of Arya Samaj for them. Sibal was
upset that I was supporting them. But now they are calling me
government mole.
"In another instance, another member asked me to talk to
Law Minister Salman Khurshid as I knew him.I did so at the
instance of that member. During the whole Ramlila Maidan
agitation, I did not talk to Sibal. Is it a reason to call me
a mole?" Agnivesh said.
He also accused Kejriwal of misinforming public about the
role of Standing Committee in law-making process.
"I spoke to constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap and
eminent lawyer Ram Jethmalani.They both said it was an
effective platform to improve the Bill.
"When I presented this viewpoint in the Core Committee on
August 13, I was asked why did I speak to these people," he
claimed.
"There was a deliberate misinformation campaign against
the role of Standing Committee. One should remember that RTI
Bill had 156 amendments in the Standing Committee. This is
what Kashap told me," he said.
He said he was the lone voice of dissent against Hazare
going on a fast-unto-death agitation at Ramlila Maidan.
"It was recorded in the minutes. I insisted that. But
Anna was adamant. He was saying one may die of heart attack
also, so what is the difference. He was adamant.
"I was for an fast for 5-6 days but not fast-unto-death.
I was concerned about Anna`s health."
On RSS involvement, he said Sangh itself has come out in
open on its role in the agitation when Hazare tried to
distance himself from the organisation.
PTI
