NEW DELHI: Social activist Anna Hazare today hit out at one-time protege and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and said he would ask volunteers to his new movement to sign an affidavit stating they would not join politics.
Hazare said here that if he had made Kejriwal sign an affidavit, he would not have been able to become a minister.
"Those who possess clean character, unblemished reputation, and the ability to sacrifice and willing to join the movement ... if they sign an affidavit saying that he/she will not join any party, nor contest polls and serve the country and the society (then) only those can take part in the movement," Hazare said.
He told reporters that he would undertake a rally here on March 23 to highlight the growing agrarian crisis in the country. Over 12 lakh farmers have committed suicide in the last 22 years and the government failed to address the issue, he claimed.
Hazare said he visited Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Karnataka in the last few months to understand the plight of the farmers.
Hazare led an anti-graft movement with a demand that the government come up with a law to enable appointment of a Lokpal to probe corruption cases against government official and functionaries. The movement had shook the UPA government.
Kejriwal played a key role in the movement and later went on to form the Aam Aadmi Party.