Hazare a true Gandhian but a lawbreaker too: P Chidambaram

Home minister P Chidambaram and HRD minister Kapil Sibal on Wednesday said the real issue of Anna Hazare’s arrest was not about his democratic right to protest, which is undoubtedly his, but the reason behind the fast.

Chidambaram said Hazare wanted parliament to pass not just a strong and effective Lokpal Bill, which is a reasonable demand, but the Jan Lokpal Bill prepared by his civil society group.

The home minister praised Hazare for being a Gandhian and being frank and honest about wanting to break the prohibitory orders imposed by the police.

“When the Delhi police asked Mr Anna Hazare whether he intended to break the law, like a true Gandhian he said he would. That left no choice with the police but to arrest him,” he said.

Chidambaram also explained that it was the executive magistrate who remanded Hazare in judicial custody.