Anna Hazare's office based in Congressman's house: Residents' body

The residents welfare association (RWA) of south Delhi's Sarvodaya Enclave, where Hazare has taken up a room at a monthly rent of Rs50,000, alleged on Sunday that the property belonged to a Congress worker. Team Anna, however, dismissed the allegation as illogical.

Soon after Hazare inaugurated the office at house number B-18 in Sarvodaya Enclave, the RWA said the anti-corruption activist should have rented a non-political person's property.

"The owner Mahesh Sharma is an active member of the Congress party, who had sought ticket for councillor in the last municipal corporation elections," Payal Aggrawal, vice-president of the RWA, told IANS. "We support the movement but condemn the decision of hiring the house of a political man. We want to be a part of it (movement) but now that the office is being run from the house of a member of a political party, we won't," she said.

On his part, Sharma denied being a member of any political party. "I have rented my house to them (Team Anna). I give my house for rent to anyone who wants it. I am not a member of any political party," he told IANS.

Team Anna member Shivendra Singh Chauhan said: "It is illogical that the RWA is questioning about anyone being the supporter of any party. If he (Sharma) is a Congressman and votes for the party, then how could it affect our movement? The house is hired on monthly rent."