New Delhi: Congress on Friday said Team Anna's
decision to launch a political party was a face saver to end the fast as the issues raised by the activists were "completely hollow" in substance.
"Both the issues at this point in time were completely hollow in substance because the Lokpal is before a Select Committee. The allegations were not backed by evidence," Congress spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters here.
"So, obviously when you paint yourself in a corner, you require a face saver," he said to question on Team Anna's decision to launch a political party and end the 10-day fast.
Tewari also appeared dismissive about the political ambitions of Team Anna.
"It was their own decision to sit on fast and it is their own decision to break the fast. The desire to form a political party is also their own. Wishes need not to be commented," he said.
He said there were six or seven national political parties and 26 regional political parties in the country. "There are approximately 1,139 unrecognised registered political parties and if 1140th joins, the more the merrier," he said.
Tewari said right from day one, the Congress and various other political commentators have been saying that the implicit political aspiration manifests itself repeatedly.
"One year down the line after claiming to be apolitical, you suddenly make that leap of faith and become political. For a long time, we have been saying and other people have also been saying that they are not as apolitical as they look to be," he said.
"They are not as apolitical as they look to be or they are not as unaligned as they look to be or claim to be," he said.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, speaking separately, struck a similar note, saying it was not proper for the Team Anna to dub MPs who have been elected by 500 million people as "thieves and dacoits".
He said that instead of making allegations against legislators, Team Anna should fight elections.
"Only saying that they themselves are clean others are not, is not proper," Singh said.
"If they have money and Anna has workers, they should together combine to fight elections," Singh said.
He also appealed to Yoga Guru Ramdev that he should "take lessons" from Team Anna and refrain from going on fast or resorting to 'Satyagraha'.
Party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi had a dig at Team Anna, remarking once they come into politics, they will realise how laws are made.
"Sloganeering alone will not help," he said, adding that in politics, a party needs of fix agenda and manifesto.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, August 04, 2012, 00:05