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Swords that pierced Satish Shetty, stabbed democracy: Anna Hazare

This expression sums up the sense of despair that has taken over social activists after Shetty, who used RTI Act to expose various scams in Pune district, was killed on Wednesday.

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"The swords that pierced Satish Shetty did not just kill an Right to Information (RTI) activist, but also stabbed the spirit of democracy."

This poignant expression of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare sums up the sense of despair that has taken over social activists after the 38-year-old Shetty, who fearlessly used RTI Act to expose various scams in Pune district, was fatally attacked at village Talegaon on Wednesday.

Talking to PTI from Ralegaon Siddhi in Ahmednagar district, where he is recuperating from an eye surgery, Hazare, with whom the slain activist had worked for about seven years, said, "This is a serious development as the assailants who stabbed Satish have also killed democracy."

Supporting the Shetty family's demand for a CBI probe into the murder that has rocked Maharashtra, Hazare also alleged that such a crime could not have been committed without clandestine backing of some elements who are running the government.

"This audacity to commit such a heinous crime against a person who was selflessly working for social justice by highlighting corruption, in my opinion, cannot be mustered unless the perpetrators enjoy the blessings of those who are in power," Hazare, one of the pioneers of the RTI movement in the state, remarked.

Satish, a bachelor had plunged into the anti-corruption movement launched by Hazare many years ago and was by his side when Anna had undertaken a long fast at pilgrim town of Alandi in protest against corrupt practices in government offices.

"He was killed simply because he used RTI to unearth corruption, and in the process, antagonised the vested interests of the powerful. The clear message that the killers want to send out is that nobody should dare to do what Satish did. This is frightening and can cause a serious setback to RTI movement," said Hazare recalling that police were investigating into the alleged "Supari" of Rs30 lakh given to contract killers to eliminate him (Hazare).

Echoing Hazare's sentiments, Vijay Kuvalekar, Maharashtra state information commissioner, said that the murder of Shetty had seriously hurt the RTI movement in the state.

"It is the responsibility of the government now to book the culprits and ensure that police investigations are not carried out under pressure from any quarters," Kuvalekar said.

"The RTI exists to ensure transparency in a democratic system of governance. If those who use it do not get protection, it defeats the system," said the information commissioner stressing the need to inflict a severe punishment to the guilty to act as a deterrent.

Kuvalekar said mere dependence on law and police machinery too would not suffice.

"What the situation calls for is building up of a people's power and resistance to deal with the anti-social elements working against the democratic system," he added.

Arun Mane, a close associate of Shetty said, "Satish was murdered by the system that worked in cohesion to protect its interests."

Sandip Shetty, his brother, summed up the spirit of the slain activist when he quoted him as saying, "It is not important how long you live, but how you live it."

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