The third day of anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare’s indefinite fast for Lokpal was marked by a dramatic turn of events involving an AAP leader and a Hazare supporter who traded charges against each other.
On Thursday, though AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal was expected to arrive at Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra, where Hazare is on fast demanding the passage of his Jan Lokpal Bill, and meet the latter, he dropped the plans owing to ill health.
And when AAP leader Kumar Vishwas arrived in Ralegan Siddhi, a Hazare supporter tried to pounce on him shouting slogans against the AAP. However, Vishwas was safely escorted out of the fast venue by policemen.
As Hazare had earlier refused to share the dais with politicians, Vishwas chose to sit among the audience and gave small speech from there. Vishwas accused the UPA Government of making a mockery of the spirit of Lokpal with its version of the anti-corruption bill.
“It is not a Lokpal but a ‘jokepal’. With every line they delete they will end up losing 10 seats in the Lok Sabha polls,” he said.
Later, on his way back from the venue, Vishwas told mediapersons that certain elements were trying to hijack Hazare’s agitation.
“I have said this openly. I am not talking about Santosh Bharti. I don’t know about his intentions. However, those close to Bharati are known to be members of the ABVP and the BJP. They write bad things about us and are eager to spread hate and animosity against Arvind (Kejriwal) and us,” he said.
Reacting to Vishwas’s comments, Bharati said the AAP leader’s speech was less about Lokpal and more about his party and the poll results.
“In the first circle of the AAP are leaders who were earlier part of thew BJP and the Congress,” Bharati said.
Meanwhile, Hazare again wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Opposition leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley on the Jan Lokpal Bill.