Activists have expressed concern at the “repressive measures” being initiated of late against members of Team Anna by Parliament and government agencies such as the Income Tax Department.
Interacting with journalists after a review of the post-Anna Hazare fast situation on the Lokpal front here on Saturday, the activists said they too condemned the use of abusive language in public but it was sad to see Parliamentarians reacting in this manner. “We agree that certain remarks were unfortunate, especially when they were uttered from a Gandhian platform like the one Anna Hazare was holding,” said social activist Aruna Roy. “However, this kind of response from the authorities is surely uncalled for,” she noted, referring to the Privileges notices issued by Parliament against Kiran Bedi and Prashant Bhushan, close associates of Anna Hazare.
As for the Income Tax department's move to collect the pending “dues” from another Tem Anna leader Arvind Kejriwal, Ms. Roy said the timing made it appear a suspicious move. “Let the law take its course but the present crackdown surely appears a vindictive action.”
“We cannot accept this kind of misuse of power by Parliament. If they have used derogatory language in public, there are other ways to deal with those persons instead of issuing privilege notices,” said Nikhil Dey of the National Campaign for Right to Information (NCPRI).
