New Delhi: Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare has written a stinging response to Delhi BJP president Adesh Kumar Gupta, who had asked him to join a protest against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the city.
Hazare said he heard of Gupta’s letter on 24 August through the media, and it pained him because the BJP has been in power at the Centre for more than six years and was still calling him to launch an agitation similar to the one he spearheaded on the Jan Lokpal issue in 2011.
“The 2011 agitation took place as people were fed up with corruption and took to the streets, thinking that a person like Anna Hazare is agitating for us. After that, in 2014, your government came to power by showing the dream of corruption-free India. But people’s life has not improved,” Hazare wrote in a letter posted on his official Facebook page.
“Youth power is national power and you have a large number of youth in your party. What could be more unfortunate than this — that a party which claims to have the highest party membership in the world has to call an 83-year-old man like me who lives in a room of 10 by 12 feet in a mandir; who has no money, no wealth,” said Hazare.
“The CBI, Enforcement Directorate and police all are under the control of the central government. The Prime Minister always claims that the central government has taken drastic measures to eradicate corruption. If this is the case and if the Delhi government has committed corruption, why is not your government taking strict legal action against it? Or are all claims of elimination of corruption hollow?” he asked.
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No party can provide relief until system changes
Hazare said in the present situation, he is of the view that no party will be able to provide a bright future or relief to the country until the system changes.
“Many parties are engaged in this cycle of money for power and power for money… No matter which party is in power, people will not get relief until the system changes, so I believe that coming back to Delhi will not make any difference,” he said.
“Change in the country will come not just from the change of party, but from the change of system.”
Hazare further said he had undertaken 20 hunger-strike agitations in over 22 years of his ‘war against corruption’. “For the betterment of society, state and nation, I have held separate agitations for 22 years on the path of non-violence. I have fasted 20 times. Six ministers have been removed from their posts during this movement. These ministers are from all parties. I have done my work without bothering about which party was being targeted,” he said.
Hazare also offered advice for political parties who only believe in targeting each other — they need to carry out self-introspection and speak up against their own flaws and shortcomings.
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Were the dispensations at center before 2014 CORRUPT ? Going by the conviction rate, yes they were to some extent, but going by the perception THEY WERE DEFINITELY SO.
However the dispensation post 2014, has neither had a conviction
nor is perceived to be CORRUPT.
IF Anna were to hold an anti-corruption rally do not know how many people will come and support him the way they come forward the last time.
Hazare is right on one thing. All the current anti corruption cases are going nowhere – PC, karti, vadra, National herald, Augusta. The CBI / ED are floundering in spite of hundreds of hours of interrogation. It could be that there is no real case in these issues.
There was rampant corruption during Congress rule. Then what we thought is that other parties will be less corrupt and supported Anna Hazare.
But Congress had been doing something for the country , for the development and improvement of the people. Now what we could see is only corruption, and false promises. Present government is not worried about the country and its people. All the resources are used only for the development of the party and their leaders.
The country is looted, in total by the ruling party. Where is Sri.Hazare now. Has he stopped his movement against corruption ?
Or is it live only when Congress is ruling ?
It was foolish of BJP to approach Anna Hazare. He has never been sympathetic to Modi or BJP. Overconfident and arrogant BJP has bitten dust.
They are accusing the only party giving 1crore compensation to covid warriors shame on them
Their mcd is the most corrupt they do nothing about it
All claims made by them on corruption in aap party are false
Both bjp and congress will try to take down regional parties so that only those two compete for power and loot india but AAP will shatter their dream in just few years
It is funny to read this news that a leader of a ruling party is asking an anti corruption crusader to act against Delhi government for thier corruption. This leader does not see corruption in his own party ranks. His party has been busy toppling elected governments in several states apparently showing lure of money, offering crores of rupees to each MLA and footing their bills of crores of rupees for accommodating them in star hotels for months. They have done it in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, tried but failed in Rajasthan. Amassing of election funds by tbem to the exclusion of opposition parties is another example of massive corruption in its operation. In spite of all these corrupt practices seeking help to curb others sounds hollow.
Anna Hazare is a good man, but he is not the sharpest knife in the drawer.