Time to change national leadership: Anna Hazare

Anti-corruption crusader, Anna Hazare, commenting on the Union cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, said the time has come to change the entire leadership of the country instead of replacing a few ministers.

Terming the government a bullock-cart, he said, “There is no need to change only the bullocks, we should change the cart drivers too.”

Hazare was speaking to the media here about preparations for the indefinite hunger strike from August 16 in support of the Lokpal Bill. From the first week of August, volunteers fighting against corruption will organise campaigns, candlelight marches, morning marches to create the atmosphere against corruption among the common public, he said.

Anna is proceeding to Delhi on Wednesday, where he will hold a string of meetings with members of the civil society and other social activists to chalk out the next course of action. He will soon undertake a nationwide tour to spread awareness and generate support for the bill.

On conditional support from Ramdev Baba, Hazare said, “All the things will be decided at the meeting with civil society members, as we are yet to decide about our meeting with some political parties like the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party.”

However, commenting on all-India Congress committee (AICC) general secretary, Digvijay Singh’s statement that tainted Pune MP and former party leader, Suresh Kalmadi, and former Maharashtra chief minister, Ashok Chavan, were innocent, Hazare said, “It only shows the close ties of the leader (Digvijay) with the tainted ministers.”