Singh said the activist was being “misled” by his close aides who are “Congress opponents” and asked him to ponder on who was benefitting from this.
Taking Anna Hazare head on ahead of the Hisar parliamentary by-poll, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Tuesday said the activist was being “misled” by his close aides who are “Congress opponents” and asked him to ponder on who was benefitting from this.
“You are surrounded by people opposed to the Congress ideology,” Digvijay Singh said in an open letter to Anna Hazare.
“Be it Shanti Bhushan, his son Prashant or your associate Arvind Kejriwal... they have all been Congress opponents... are busy pursuing their political ends and are exploiting your clean image,” Singh said in his letter, released to the media Tuesday.
Hinting at Hazare’s recent call to defeat the Congress in the October 13 Hisar Lok Sabha by-election, Singh said “The activist was taking one-sided decisions, against his values, under the influence of such people”.
"You must think who is benefiting from your decisions. When you oppose the Congress, who are you seen with," Digvijay Singh asked.
Casting doubts on the credibility of Hazare over his links with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Singh said, "Your statements that you are not aware of RSS supporting your cause, raise doubts about your credibility.”
"Whenever I have mentioned involvement of RSS with your anti-corruption movement, you have suggested I be sent to a lunatic asylum," he said.
Stating that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had announced a five-point anti-graft programme at the party's Burari session in the national capital in December last year, Singh said she had even asked the National Advisory Council to prepare a draft Lokpal bill.
The Congress general secretary asked Hazare to trust Parliament, which endorsed his three demands on the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill August 27, and wondered why he had still asked people to vote against the Congress.
"The process to pass the Lokpal Bill will be completed in the winter session and you know this," said Singh.
Stating "it was good that clean people like Hazare joined mainstream politics," Singh said: "This should not be done with an anti-Congress sentiment”.
Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party, Om Prakash Chautala-led Indian National Lok Dal and the Haryana Janhit Congress started by former Congressman Bhajan Lal, Singh said, "If you are seen along with the corrupt in your fight against graft, how will the menace be curbed."
Charging the BJP of having double standards on the issue of black money stashed in foreign banks, Singh said its leaders never did anything to bring it back during their rule 1998-2004.
"You never raised a voice against the BJP. As compared to your excitement against the Congress, you praise Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi where there had been no Lok Ayukta for 9 years," said Singh.
Singh said while the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government has put behind bars former ministers, MPs and corporate leaders involved in corruption, the BJP did nothing against its corrupt leaders, including former president Bangaru Laxman, who was caught taking bribe on a TV camera.
On Hazare’s support to yoga guru Baba Ramdev, Singh said: "You supported Swami Ramdev's movement against black money but he is facing probe by the Enforcement Directorate for the same."
Mentioning that the "BJP had promised to make Anna the next president of India", Singh cautioned the activist to “see through the allurement”.
"I respect you. You are welcome to join politics but choose your supporters carefully," added Singh.
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