BJP leaders now openly support Anna's campaign

After staying on the sidelines and silently supporting Anna Hazare's campaign against corruption for the past many days, a large number of Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have now openly started coming out in his support and begun organising protest meetings in their respective areas.

BJP national general secretary Vijay Goel on Tuesday took out a candlelight procession from Town Hall in Chandni Chowk to support Anna's fight against corruption. A large number of traders from Old Delhi participated in this march.

Asked about the reason for coming out openly in favour of the Jan Lokpal Bill agitation, Mr. Goel, who wore a Gandhi cap with “I am Anna'' written on it, said, “We will support any fight against corruption. Earlier we had supported Jayaprakash Narayan's agitation and V.P. Singh's campaign and so we have come out in Anna's support now.''

Addressing the party activists, he said Anna's campaign had now become a national movement and people are not treating it merely as an issue related to the Jan Lokpal Bill but to corruption in its entirety. “The BJP has always supported this campaign against corruption though it has some differences on how the Bill should be taken up in Parliament,'' he clarified.

In South Delhi, former MLA and Overseas Friends of BJP convener Vijay Jolly participated in a protest march against corruption along with residents of Sainik Farms and nearby colonies. Carrying torches and candles, the protesters went around the thickly populated colonies of the area such as Saket, Khanpur and Neb Sarai and raised slogans in support of Anna Hazare and his campaign.

The BJP leaders have, however, not been shying from taking political mileage out of these protests.

Mr. Jolly also spoke about the 56 years of alleged Congress misrule and charged that the party had stooped to the level of buying votes to stay in power. He also claimed that rampant corruption was the prime reason for the phenomenal price rise the country has witnessed of late.