As Anna Hazare’s comments on team member Prashant Bhushan triggered a fresh controversy, activist Arvind Kejriwal on Friday addressed a press conference in New Delhi in which he sought to say that Mr. Hazare did not mean to say that the lawyer was removed from the team.
“He is an integral part of the team. He is a very respected citizen who has worked in several areas including environment and human rights. He has played a crucial role in the anti-corruption movement also,” Mr. Kejriwal said.
“I spoke to Anna over telephone. He told me that he did not say that. What he told me was that the committee will decide who should be in or out,” he said.
A meeting of Team Anna’s core committee was held in UP’s Noida during which a resolution saying Kashmir is an integral part of India and the “complex” problem should be solved through peaceful discussions, was adopted.
However, Mr. Hazare, Mr. Bhushan and Kiran Bedi did not attend the meeting. Ms. Bedi is in Amsterdam while Mr. Bhushan has left for the U.S.
"Dissenting voices should not be silenced"
Activist Swami Agnivesh, who was earlier associated with Team Anna, said dissenting voices should not be silenced by the use of force though he was for upholding Jammu and Kashmir’s integration with India as full and final.
“Citizens should uphold Jammu and Kashmir’s integration with India as full and final. There can be no going back to pre-1947 situation. There can be no situation in which any part of the Indian territory or people can be allowed to secede,” Swami Agnivesh said.He said the government and political parties should unitedly come up with a time-bound action plan to fully integrate PoK with India.
“The large-scale presence of Chinese troops in PoK should be taken as a threat to India’s overarching sovereignty. This threat must be dealt with all the seriousness it deserves and earnestly.
“At the same time we must ensure that human rights of our people living in Jammu and Kashmir are not violated,” he said.
