New Delhi:
With less than 48 hours to go before the Lokpal debate starts in Parliament, the gloves are off between Team Anna and the Congress. Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh today launched yet another attack on anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare over his alleged links to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Pointing to a report published on the front page of a prominent Hindi daily, Mr Singh said that Mr Hazare had worked as a secretary with RSS leader Nanaji Deshmukh and had trained in Gonda in 1983.
"And he denied any association with RSS! Now whom do we believe Facts with Picture and the claim of RSS or Anna? I am again proved right", tweeted Mr Singh.
Team Anna was quick to retaliate. Mr Hazare's close aide Kiran Bedi tweeted a picture of Digvijaya Singh sharing a dais with Mr Deshmukh and questioned his RSS links. "Does sharing of the dais make one each other's agent? Next time should one sit alone? When two persons share a dais do they become each other's agents?" she tweeted.
However, Mr Singh was unrelenting in challenging Mr Hazare's campaign. "The thing is that Anna Hazare has worked with Nanaji Deshmukh in Gonda. I haven't. RSS has published a book on Anna Hazare. RSS hasn't published any book on Digvijaya till date, only slangs," he said.
Mr Hazare himself refuted the allegations and said the charges being levelled against him were by the "supporters of corruption."
"The allegations prove that supporters of corruption in India have no valid issues left," the 74-year-old Gandhian said.
This is just the beginning of a week that promises friction and acrimony. Team Anna mounted the pressure on the government today, with an open letter to the Prime Minister and all MPs, pledging faith in Parliament, but asking for their version of the Lokpal Bill. (
Read: Team Anna writes to PM, MPs)
"The year-long people's campaign against corruption has brought us to the very edge of legislation that can tackle it powerfully. Sensing the national mood, Parliament has also taken it upon itself to foster a significant debate on the issues within the Bill, and for this we thank our elected representatives. While we are on record with our displeasure over the current draft of the bill, we are also keen that the best possible law should now emerge from the debate in the people's Houses," the letter said. (
Read letter)
The stage is now set for the real showdown on December 27, when Parliament will debate the Lokpal Bill and Mr Hazare will fast in Mumbai. The government has been signalling that it will not be coerced by the septuagenarian's protests. However, the Gandhian is adamant that if a bill is passed which does not include his demands - the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) administrative and financial control by the Lokpal; the lower bureaucracy under the Lokpal; and the Lokpal's power to initiate a probe on its own, without any complaint being made - he will go ahead with his
jail bharo agitation from December 30.
"We will fight till the end, we are all committed to get a strong Lokpal Bill. If we get it in this session very good, if we don't we will fight for it," said Arvind Kejriwal, a close aide of Team Anna.
On the other front, the government's battle is inside Parliament. The BJP's stand on key elements matches Anna's Jan Lokpal Bill. What's worse is that the party says several elements like the Minority Quota and sections dealing with the appointment of Lokayuktas violate constitutional provisions and are unacceptable.
"We will decide our strategy on the floor of the House. We want a strong Lokpal," said Venkaiah Naidu, BJP Leader.
The Left, the BSP and many regional parties ruling different states are not on board either. In fact, supporting players like Lalu Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav are both anti-Anna and anti-Lokpal. This lack of consensus raises the odds against the Bill.