Ralegan-Siddhi:
In an interview to NDTV, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare talks about the national support he has received for his fight against graft. He's also blunt about the Prime Minister and opposition leader LK Advani's plan announcement to begin a new
rath yatra against corruption.
Here are the highlights of his interview:- Never expected the sort of outpouring of support I got for my campaign
- Even I wonder how an ordinary fakir who lives in a village generated this kind of support
- The support I got shows the extent of public anger with the government
- The PM is a good man, he is not corrupt, but he has no authority over his government
- There are too many Pradhans in the Cabinet who want to undermine the PM
- No one listens to the PM
- Sonia Gandhi has not been able to assert herself against corruption
- I have met Sonia Gandhi personally and yet she did little to push a strong Jan Lokpal Bill
- If we don't get a strong Jan Lokpal Bill, we will go and sing bhajans outside the homes of all parliamentarians
- I do not support Advani's yatra; if the BJP is serious about corruption let them start with strong Lokayuykats in their states
- Digvijaya Singh is an old friend who used to touch my feet and greet me when we worked together
- The same Digvijaya Singh who used to touch my feet is calling me an RSS man today
- The day Ramdev spoke or a private army against corruption I told him I will not support you
- Despite the ideological differences with Ramdev I cannot accept the brutal crackdown on his rally
- We are sending two representatives to Manipur to hold talks with Irom Sharmila to understand the issues around AFSPA
- After Swami Agnivesh was found hobnobbing with government ministers we have decided for now he is not part of our team
- Frustration at weak laws made me recommend hanging as punishment for the corrupt; I have now revised my opinion, I think there should be life imprisonment
- I don't call all politicians thieves, just the ones who are