Social activist Anna Hazare on Monday alleged that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had forgotten the Lokpal movement after entering politics and said he will ask his one-time protégée to keep a “safe distance” when he launches another anti-corruption agitation.
Mr. Hazare also targeted Puducherry Lieutenant-Governor Kiran Bedi and Union Minister V. K. Singh over their alleged failure to take the 2011 movement to a successful conclusion.
Blames leaders
“We had all these people in our team. We undertook such a massive agitation for Lokpal. And they forgot the Lokpal because all have ventured into politics. Someone became a Chief Minister, someone became a [Lieutenant] Governor and someone became a Minister in the Central government and forgot Lokpal [movement],” he said.
The activist was responding to a question on whether he would allow Mr. Kejriwal to be a part of the agitation he plans to launch against the government for not appointing a Lokpal.
“He will not ask [to be a part of the agitation]. And even if he asks, I will ask him to keep a safe distance,” Mr. Hazare said.
Mr. Kejriwal quit as Delhi Chief Minister in February 2014 since the Lokpal Bill could not be passed. Another Lokpal Bill, which was passed by the Delhi Legislative Assembly in 2015, is awaiting the Centre’s approval.
Former AAP leader and activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan, now part of new political outfit Swaraj India, had accused Mr. Kejriwal of diluting the 2015 Lokpal Bill.
Mr. Hazare had earlier refused to have political leaders share the platform he used to launch anti-graft agitations. Along with Mr. Hazare, Mr. Kejriwal, Ms. Bedi and Mr. Singh were key faces of the agitation in 2011. The anti-graft movement launched by Mr. Hazare was a precursor to the formation of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Mr. Kejriwal forming a political party also did not go well with the social activist.
The AAP came to power in Delhi for the first time in 2013. Ms. Bedi, now the Puducherry L-G, joined the BJP and was its chief ministerial candidate for the 2015 Assembly polls. Mr. Singh also joined the BJP and is the Minister of State for External Affairs.
