Will not campaign for Kejriwal`s political party: Anna Hazare
Anna Hazare on Tuesday said floating a political outfit by his associate Arvind Kejriwal would mean "taking a different path" to reach the same goal of corruption free India.
|Last Updated: Sep 19, 2012, 12:15 AM IST|Source: Bureau
New Delhi: Anna Hazare on Tuesday made it clear that he does not support the anti-corruption movement taking a political plunge and told Arvind Kejriwal that he cannot expect the activist`s support for all his candidates.
Hazare`s remarks came during his address to a group of supporters, who are opposed to the anti-corruption movement taking a political plunge. He is holding a meeting with activists tomorrow on the issue.
"I had told Arvind (last month during Jantar Mantar agitation) that if you want to form a party, you go ahead but I will not be part of that.
"It is not that if they have 1,000 candidates, I will support all of them. That will not happen," he told the gathering, which also had the presence of Core Committee member of erstwhile Team Anna Sunita Godhara.
This is third time in a week that Hazare has openly disagreed with the formation of a party, first in a video post and then through a blog on Sunday.
The movement has come a full circle since its inception in April last year when Hazare struck a chord with common man`s angst against corruption but it started losing steam after December due to its political ambitions.
"If they want to launch a party, let them do it. We don`t bother. We will not go with them. It is not our way... Many people have told me that they want to fight polls.
"I have told them that if you want to fight elections, you go and fight. I am not with you in this," he said in an apparent reference to Kejriwal`s team, which published survey results claiming overwhelming support for formation of a party.
Expressing doubts about the movement changing colours, he invoked JP Movement and wondered how would have Jai Prakash Narain known that the movement will produce a "leader like Lalu Prasad".
"JP has led a tremendous movement. How would he have
known that the same movement will produce a leader like Lalu Prasad. What is the guarantee that we will not have such a person," Hazare said.
Explaining his stand against fighting elections, he said his appeal was that they should not fight elections.
"Whoever wants to fight elections let them. Yes the destination is same but our paths are different. We will not go with those who want to fight elections. Whoever wants to fight elections, let them. We don`t bother about it," he said.
He told the gathering that those who do not want to fight elections will have to organise a big movement now, which should be bigger than the August agitation in Ramlila Maidan last year.
"We don`t have to fight elections. We have to organise a big movement now. The challenges are big for those who do not want to fight elections. We will have to organise a big movement, which is bigger than the August 16 movement," he said.
Hazare said when the issue of forming a party came during last August agitation, he flagged issues about how to select members and candidates for the party.
He said he had taken a vow at the age of 26 years to live his life for the country and die for the country. "I have also taken a vow that I will not form a party or contest elections," he said.
Before his arrival in Delhi, he held a meeting with activists in Pune on how to take forward the movement.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.