3420 - Won't back Arvind Kejriwal's party: Anna Hazare - Times of India

Won't back Arvind Kejriwal's party: Anna Hazare Sarang Dastane, TNN Jun 16, 2013, 01.26AM IST PUNE: Social crusader Anna Hazare, who turned 75 on Saturday, appealed to the citizens to stop supporting political parties and extend support to independent candidates with a clean image in the coming elections. Hazare was speaking at a function organized by the villagers of Ralegan-Siddhi to mark his 75th birthday. Kiran Bedi, former IPS and one of his close associates, was present. "I am not against Arvind. He is a good person and has a clean image. But he has opted for a political path and I am not in support of it. I have no plans to campaign for his party. If Arvind leaves the party and comes forward to establish janatantra (people's democracy) in the society, we can fight this battle against corruption together," said Hazare. "A few days back, a person came to me and said he is Arvind's worker and is planning to contest the the election. I appreciated his thought but told him that I do not support him. I can think of supporting him only if he fights as an independent candidate and has a clean image," he said. The septuagenarian activist said that the constitution says that an individual can fight election, not a group or a political party. "Formation of political parties misleads citizens. The representatives of political parties cannot free the country from corruption because they themselves are corrupt. The parties put unnecessary pressure on voters and the people don't get a choice while selecting candidates. They cast votes for candidates selected by political parties. Citizens should understand what the constitution says. The society needs to select individuals who are ready to serve people," he said. Hazare also challenged political parties for a debate on the issue of corruption. "No party has come forward so far. Political parties have not been performing their job and are responsible for the deep-rooted corruption in the society. As many as 35 ministers are tainted and 169 MPs are facing various charges. That's why the society needs to reject political parties to have a corruption-free country," he said. The anti-corruption crusader said that his ongoing tour has received overwhelming response all over the country. He has toured five states and plans to visit four more in a tour that starts June 22. "After the announcement of elections, I will hold rallies in every state. I will tell the people that if they want to vote for political parties, they have failed to act against corruption," said Hazare. "Though I have completed 75 years, there is still a long way to go. I will begin fast at the Ramlila grounds from October if the government fails to bring a strong Lokpal bill. The second fight for independence has begun. It is a 'do or die' situation. I will approach individuals and seek their support for a strong corrupt-free democracy." The Bhrashtachar Virodhi Jan Andolan Nyas also announced a 75-point programme on Saturday. It includes various citizen-friendly programmes such as blood and eye donation camps, planning camps for youths, plantation drives etc. Bedi said the fight for Lokpal has reached a crucial phase. "The government should bring the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the purview of Lokpal," she said.