Fever keeps Sonia from rally, but speech sends message to Anna

Gauchar, Uttarakhand: Thousands of people had gathered in Chamoli in Uttarakhand where Congress president Sonia Gandhi was to launch a major railway project. A rally that was to follow would have seen her first public speech since her return to India after surgery in the US.    

But after the Congress said Mrs Gandhi was sick with viral fever, Tehri MP Vijay Bahuguna was deputed to read out her speech.

Mrs Gandhi made heavy references to corruption - the issue that has weakened the government's credibility and made it vulnerable to attacks both by the Opposition and a team of activists, led by 74-year-old Gandhian Anna Hazare. "There is a lot of talk about corruption these days. No doubt corruption is prevalent in society in some form of the other. An atmosphere needs to be created against it. Corruption will not go by merely making speeches, by pointing a finger at others. Everyone needs to look within...You cannot eradicate corruption like this, that one thinks corruption by us is a holy affair while that by others amounts to corruption. This is what is happening these days," she said. Mrs Gandhi also underscored that the historic Right to Information Act which has helped unearth numerous cases of graft, was championed by her. And then came the real missive. "All know that the Prime Minister and our party has said again and again that we are in favour of an effective and strong Lokpal Bill. The bill will be presented in Parliament and we will implement it. Then why this hue and cry?"

The target was clearly Anna and his team, who have warned that they will campaign against the Congress in states like Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, which are headed for elections, if a stringent Lokpal Bill is not passed in the Winter Session of Parliament. The Bill provides for an ombudsman agency which will be empowered to tackle cases of graft among government servants - it has become the raison detre of Anna's India Against Corruption movement, which has elicited huge support from middle-class India.

Mrs Gandhi's firm message was received by Team Anna, which said it's waiting for action. "We welcome Mrs Gandhi's statement. We hope the Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) will keep his assurance and a strong Lokpal Bill will be passed as per 'Sense of House'...mere speeches would not be enough from the government's side," said Arvind Kejriwal, Anna's closest aide.

Mrs Gandhi's intended venue was a loaded choice too - Uttarakhand which is governed by the BJP has earned lavish praise from Anna. Chief Minister BC Khanduri earlier this month introduced a tough new law against corruption - the Lokayukta Act passed by the Uttarakhand Assembly has been described by Team Anna as exemplary.  

While the Centre is yet to pass the Lokpal Bill, Uttarakhand introduced a version that has all the features that Anna deems essential. His mass appeal makes Anna's endorsement invaluable. He said in Delhi last week, "People like him (BC Khanduri) should be praised. We have to praise the good, and criticize the bad." The praise came much in the same breath as did some admonishment for the Congress-led UPA at the Centre for dragging its feet on the Lokpal Bill.

While Anna - who has promised not to single out the Congress as a target in his anti-corruption campaign - hastened to add that he did not "see Khanduri as someone who represents his party, the BJP...I see him as the Chief Minister of a state and praise him for the work he is doing for the state," his words are expected to give a fillip to the BJP's campaign in the state.