Full text: Anna's charges, Kejriwal's defence in Jan Lokpal row

In a sudden attack on former associate Arvind Kejriwal, social activist Anna Hazare wrote to him seeking an explanation for funds collected during the Jan Lokpal movement and asking him not to use his image during the party’s campaign for the Delhi elections. Kejriwal has countered by replying that none of the funds have been misused and seeking that if proved wrong, he will withdraw from the elections and Hazare should campaign for the AAP for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections. In his letter dated 17 November, Hazare wrote to Kejriwal that he had a concern and wanted to inform him of it. Pointing out that the Jan Lokpal cannot be created by a state assembly and only by the Lok Sabha, Hazare said that the need of the hour was to ensure honest legislators were sent to the Lower House of Parliament. “You have formed a political party and the decision to contest the Delhi Assembly elections is entirely your own. I have nothing to do with your party or any assembly elections,” Hazare wrote. Hazare claimed that the AAP’s campaign implied that it had his support and said that he had doubts about the funds that had been raised by the party for its campaign. He said that funds had been raised during the anti-corruption rally at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi and said they shouldn’t be used for an election campaign. Hazare said that he had learnt that there was a card or SIM card that had been created with his name on it. “I have never given authorisation to you or anybody else to create this. If someone goes to court against it then I could also be made an accused. It would be shameful I were required to be present in a court as an accused,” Hazare wrote. [caption id=“attachment_1237665” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Kejriwal and Hazare during better times. AFP[/caption] Hazare said Kejriwal was free to fight elections but shouldn’t use his name in any way. The social activist said that he had always been careful about his public image and urged Kejriwal to refrain from using his name during his campaign in any way. Kejriwal responded to the letter a day later and said that while he considered Hazare his guru, he had already clarified the concerns raised in his letter. “You were satistifed by my answers in the past. My concern is why and what is the intention of the persons who are telling you these false and convoluted facts,” Kejriwal wrote, adding that he was happy Hazare still retained his faith in him. Kejriwal added that they would pass the Lokpal Bill much like the one that Hazare had campaigned for in Maharashtra and endorsed in Uttarakhand and hoped he would come to Delhi when they passed it. He said that in keeping with Hazare’s wishes they had not used his name in the campaign in any way. “We are only saying that there was a ‘Anna struggle’ in 2011. However, that is a historical truth that cannot be denied by anyone including you,” Kejriwal wrote. He said that the party had long stopped the sale of the ‘Anna Sim cards’ that it had sold during the anti-corruption rally and had not used a rupee from its sale for the party’s Delhi campaign. Kejriwal pointed out the various times accounting had been done of funds collected by the India Against Corruption and said that the party was willing to face a public probe to ensure that they have adhered to probity in accounts. He said that he was willing to have former Supreme Court judge and IAC activist Santosh Hegde investigate their accounts and hoped that the probe could be completed in a week. “I want to assure you and the nation that if Justice Hegde in his probe discovers any irregularities and if any of the funds for the Jan Lokpal agitation have been used by the party, I will withdraw my candidature from the Delhi elections,” Kejriwal wrote. Kejriwal said that if proved innocent he hoped that Hazare would come to Delhi to campaign for the AAP. Read the complete letters below: