New Delhi: As Team Anna members debated corruption and participatory democracy here, a man created a
mini stir at the event by asking why Anna Hazare did not speak
up against Raj Thackeray in his home state where the
politician had targeted north Indians.
At a seminar on `Rebuilding the Republic` organised by
Team Anna, the man named Liladhar Bhat demanded to be heard on
stage and after being offered the microphone raised the issue.
Lawyers Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan, activists
Vandana Siva and Gopal Rai, and psephologist Yogendra Yadav
among others, were holding a panel discussion after the
seminar and taking written questions from the people present
there.
Bhat, who had submitted a question was disappointed about
his issue not being raised at the forum and started shouting.
He refused to back down after repeated requests by Yadav and
the volunteers, following which he was called on stage.
"I am also against corruption and I am myself agitated by
it. But the Delhi Lokayukta does not take into account the
evidence provided about the corrupt practices of a Nigam
Parshad. How do we deal with this now," he asked.
He then said he was a north Indian and was agitated by
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena`s targeting of the people from this
part of the country in Hazare`s home state.
"Shall Anna not give his statement on this issue," he
asked.
However, Gopal Rai reacted sharply to the question,
criticising him for raising up the issue of divisions.
"In this people`s movement, we are not north Indians or
south Indians, we have to be Indians and raking up divisions
of caste or religion is dividing people," he said without
replying to the question directly.
Earlier, another man from the audience had interrupted
the seminar demanding that he be heard first. Some among the
audience also supported him but were cajoled by organisers
telling him that he can put his views after the speakers give
their point of view.
PTI
