Anna’s political move divides supporters
New Delhi: Supporters of social activist Anna Hazare stood divided in reaction to the veteran corruption crusader's move to start a political party, reports said Saturday.
While some supporters hailed the decision as a logical given the government purportedly stonewalling their demands to crackdown decisively against corruption, others saw it as the end of a revolution.
Some dejected Anna Hazare supporters at Navsari in Surat reportedly burnt posters of Anna and India Against Corruption (IAC), the group that Hazare leads.
In Delhi, some unhappy IAC members showed their disapproval through their absence from the venue of Hazare’s hunger strike campaign that ended Friday, while some other volunteers returned their identity cards.
Former Chief Justice Santosh Hegde, a key supporter of Hazare’s campaign, on Friday said he does not support Anna and his team floating a political party, but would campaign for candidates who identify themselves with his movement against corruption.
"I don't support Anna Hazare and his team starting a political party. But I have heard Anna speaking on TV that he is neither forming a party nor contesting elections, but may support people wanting to contest elections whom he knows will help the cause of fight against corruption and bring about political change in the country," he said.
Hazare and his Team Anna members on Friday ended their ongoing fast at new Delhi's Jantar Mantar by taking a sip of water, ending their 10-day long agitation against corruption and finally spelling out their decision to form a political party to fight their "crusade" against graft.
Anna said he would not run for office while his key colleague Arvind Kejriwal, who was fasting all along, said people would name the political party.
Anna ended his six-day fast which he started after joining key members of the anti-corruption group including Arvind Kejriwal.
Large number of crowd were seen at the fast venue, waving the tri-colour as Team Anna members broke the fast on Friday and highlighted their political ambitions.
"The fight will continue," Anna said, and said the people in power are living in AC rooms and are not bothered about the common man or their problem.
"I will not fight election. I am supporting this political movement as people want it," he said while addressing at the Jantar Mantar before ending the fast.
Team Anna on Friday clarified their aim of opening a political party in an attempt to give a political alternative to the country.
Key member of Team Anna Arvind Kejriwal spoke about the political party that the group is planning to float and its targets.
Kejriwal said Team Anna would continue the movement both inside and outside the Parliament in the upcoming days.
"Today the protest moved from one phase to another phase...the protests will now take place both on the roads as well as in the Parliament," Kejriwal said.
He said the political party will not have a high command and people of the country will select the candidates.
"There will be no high command in our party, people will select their own candidates," Kejriwal said.
He said the 'election manifesto' will be decided by the public.
"We will ask people to give Team Anna suggestions for choosing candidates for their political party," the social activist said.
He said: "We do not want to win election."
"We want to challenge the existing parties," he said.
Kejriwal said he is confident that India will change in the upcoming three years.
Former Army chief V K Singh was seen sharing the stage with the Team Anna members on Friday.
He voiced his support to Team Anna's movement against corruption and said: "It is now the time for a bigger agitation. This is the time for a political agitation."
"Anna's movement will bring change in politics," Singh said.
He said people of the country will need to end the problem of corruption.
Meanwhile, Union Minster for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal on Friday slammed Team Anna members and called them 'hardcore politicians'.
"These people are hardcore politicians," Sibal was quoted as saying to media.
"They know very well what politics is. They have positioned themselves well," he said.
Sibal welcomed the decision of Team Anna and said: "We must welcome their decision. Any team can come and face the people and contest elections."
"Well, we all already knew that this is what they were interested in. They wanted to create this situation," he said.
Information & Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni earlier said: "We were saying this from the first day that Team Anna is inspired by politics. It's good that their intentions are out in the open."
Anna and his supporters had launched yet another indefinite hunger strike in the national capital, to mount pressure on the embattled Congress-led coalition government to introduce a strong Lokpal Bill.
New Delhi: Supporters of social activist Anna Hazare stood divided in reaction to the veteran corruption crusader's move to start a political party, reports said Saturday.
While some supporters hailed the decision as a logical given the government purportedly stonewalling their demands to...
New Delhi: Supporters of social activist Anna Hazare stood divided in reaction to the veteran corruption crusader's move to start a political party, reports said Saturday.
While some supporters hailed the decision as a logical given the government purportedly stonewalling their demands to crackdown decisively against corruption, others saw it as the end of a revolution.
Some dejected Anna Hazare supporters at Navsari in Surat reportedly burnt posters of Anna and India Against Corruption (IAC), the group that Hazare leads.
In Delhi, some unhappy IAC members showed their disapproval through their absence from the venue of Hazare’s hunger strike campaign that ended Friday, while some other volunteers returned their identity cards.
Former Chief Justice Santosh Hegde, a key supporter of Hazare’s campaign, on Friday said he does not support Anna and his team floating a political party, but would campaign for candidates who identify themselves with his movement against corruption.
"I don't support Anna Hazare and his team starting a political party. But I have heard Anna speaking on TV that he is neither forming a party nor contesting elections, but may support people wanting to contest elections whom he knows will help the cause of fight against corruption and bring about political change in the country," he said.
Hazare and his Team Anna members on Friday ended their ongoing fast at new Delhi's Jantar Mantar by taking a sip of water, ending their 10-day long agitation against corruption and finally spelling out their decision to form a political party to fight their "crusade" against graft.
Anna said he would not run for office while his key colleague Arvind Kejriwal, who was fasting all along, said people would name the political party.
Anna ended his six-day fast which he started after joining key members of the anti-corruption group including Arvind Kejriwal.
Large number of crowd were seen at the fast venue, waving the tri-colour as Team Anna members broke the fast on Friday and highlighted their political ambitions.
"The fight will continue," Anna said, and said the people in power are living in AC rooms and are not bothered about the common man or their problem.
"I will not fight election. I am supporting this political movement as people want it," he said while addressing at the Jantar Mantar before ending the fast.
Team Anna on Friday clarified their aim of opening a political party in an attempt to give a political alternative to the country.
Key member of Team Anna Arvind Kejriwal spoke about the political party that the group is planning to float and its targets.
Kejriwal said Team Anna would continue the movement both inside and outside the Parliament in the upcoming days.
"Today the protest moved from one phase to another phase...the protests will now take place both on the roads as well as in the Parliament," Kejriwal said.
He said the political party will not have a high command and people of the country will select the candidates.
"There will be no high command in our party, people will select their own candidates," Kejriwal said.
He said the 'election manifesto' will be decided by the public.
"We will ask people to give Team Anna suggestions for choosing candidates for their political party," the social activist said.
He said: "We do not want to win election."
"We want to challenge the existing parties," he said.
Kejriwal said he is confident that India will change in the upcoming three years.
Former Army chief V K Singh was seen sharing the stage with the Team Anna members on Friday.
He voiced his support to Team Anna's movement against corruption and said: "It is now the time for a bigger agitation. This is the time for a political agitation."
"Anna's movement will bring change in politics," Singh said.
He said people of the country will need to end the problem of corruption.
Meanwhile, Union Minster for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal on Friday slammed Team Anna members and called them 'hardcore politicians'.
"These people are hardcore politicians," Sibal was quoted as saying to media.
"They know very well what politics is. They have positioned themselves well," he said.
Sibal welcomed the decision of Team Anna and said: "We must welcome their decision. Any team can come and face the people and contest elections."
"Well, we all already knew that this is what they were interested in. They wanted to create this situation," he said.
Information & Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni earlier said: "We were saying this from the first day that Team Anna is inspired by politics. It's good that their intentions are out in the open."
Anna and his supporters had launched yet another indefinite hunger strike in the national capital, to mount pressure on the embattled Congress-led coalition government to introduce a strong Lokpal Bill.
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