In an indication of a clear rift with Arvind Kejriwal and his associates, Anna Hazare today said he will give only conditional support to soon-to-be-launched political party by India Against Corruption.
“It is not that if they have thousand candidates, I will support all of them. That will not happen,” said Hazare.
Anna Hazare. Naresh Sharma/Firstpost
Hazare said he was never for launching a political party and he told Kejriwal the same during the Jantar Mantar agitation in August. “I told Arvind about it. I said if you want to do it, you go ahead. But I will not be a part of it,” said Hazare.
He said he had some concerns about political party, which still remain. “Where will you get the money required to contest elections? How will you make sure that all your candidates have good credentials? How will be you party different from other political parties? JP movement was excellent, but no one knew that later on, people such as Lalu Prasad would get associated with it,” said Hazare.
This is the third time in one week that Hazare has conveyed his disagreement over the movement going political. On Friday, he relayed a video message from Ralegan Siddhi, thrust of which, was that politics would not bring change. He also wrote a blog distancing himself from the political party which will reportedly be launched on Gandhi Janayanti.
On Tuesday, he addressed more than 100 volunteers in Delhi who were against the idea of movement taking a political plunge. “If they want to launch a party, let them do it. We don’t bother. We will not go with them. It is not our way,” said Hazare, adding that who wanted to remain non-political have a bigger responsibility.
“The movement is a year and a half old. We should continue like this and I am sure that the government will budge one day,” he said.
On Wednesday, Hazare will meet Kejriwal and his aides who are for political party.
