A day after it trained its guns on social activist Anna Hazare, the Congress on Monday sought to describe the verbal assault as a one-time response to counter the attack made by Mr. Hazare on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the party.
Party sources sought to bring down the intensity of its onslaught against Mr. Hazare stating that the Congress neither favoured attacks of a personal nature nor intended to do an encore.
The frontal attack on Sunday was mounted by its spokesman Manish Tewari — who referred to the Justice P.B. Sawant Commission that went into corruption charges against the social activist in 2005 — asking Mr. Hazare to clarify the ‘serious' findings in the report.
The Congress chagrin was also on account of the tone of Mr. Hazare's letter to the Prime Minister, which was even commented upon by a Cabinet Minister. The party also felt it should respond to the accusations hurled against the Congress by Mr. Hazare, who is now getting ready for yet another round of fast from Tuesday.
Sources said that through such a verbal attack, the party wanted Mr. Hazare to realise the hurt caused when such tactics were resorted to.
