NEW DELHI: This year belied Congress's hope that the powerful performance in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections would ensure a smooth five-year stint at the Centre. Now, it seems that the year, marked by upheavals, may end on a turbulent note as well. The party's bugbear and anti-graft campaigner Anna Hazare announced on Saturday that he will begin the third phase of his agitation for setting up a strong Lokpal on December 27, even as he dragged Congressgeneral secretary Rahul Gandhi into the line of his anti-corruption fire.
Talking to reporters here on the eve of his symbolic one-day fast on Sunday against the "weak" draft of the Lokpal Bill that was submitted in Parliament on Friday, Anna blamed Rahul for what he called the diluted legislation and said that he would continue his campaign until the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
The challenge may ensure that the government's crisis managers may have to be on their toes when they would have looked for a year-end break.
Alleging that the Lokpal committee had chosen to ignore assurances given by the PM, Hazare the activist said that this could not have been done without Rahul's backing. However, he sparedSonia Gandhi, noting that she Congress chief was unwell and he did not wish to aggravate her illness. He even called her "leader of nation".
"They have cheated the whole country. The PM had given in writing that these three issues would be brought under the Lokpal bill...The PM's letter was thrown into the dustbin. Why this volte face? Is (standing committee chairman Abhishek Manu Singhvi) Singhvi's post higher than that of the PM?''
Anna, who was talking to reporters just hours after reaching here, added, "Obviously, there is somebody behind it? .. Who is bigger than the PM?... we suspect Rahul Gandhi could be behind this... Who else can dare to challenge the PM? That is why there are these problems."
The veteran campaigner spared Sonia Gandhi, noting that the Congress chief was unwell and he did not wish to aggravate her illness. He even called her "leader of nation".
This was the second time when Anna targeted Rahul and pointed to a possible game plan to go after the Congress general secretary whom the party has assiduously tried to keep firewalled from controversial issues, less the freshness and novelty associated his brand gets sullied. It also marked an escalation of confrontation between Team Anna and Congress. Anna repeated that he would campaign against Congress in the coming state polls and seemed unfazed by the allegation that he had an agenda against the ruling party.
Talking to reporters here on the eve of his symbolic one-day fast on Sunday against the "weak" draft of the Lokpal Bill that was submitted in Parliament on Friday, Anna blamed Rahul for what he called the diluted legislation and said that he would continue his campaign until the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
The challenge may ensure that the government's crisis managers may have to be on their toes when they would have looked for a year-end break.
Alleging that the Lokpal committee had chosen to ignore assurances given by the PM, Hazare the activist said that this could not have been done without Rahul's backing. However, he sparedSonia Gandhi, noting that she Congress chief was unwell and he did not wish to aggravate her illness. He even called her "leader of nation".
"They have cheated the whole country. The PM had given in writing that these three issues would be brought under the Lokpal bill...The PM's letter was thrown into the dustbin. Why this volte face? Is (standing committee chairman Abhishek Manu Singhvi) Singhvi's post higher than that of the PM?''
Anna, who was talking to reporters just hours after reaching here, added, "Obviously, there is somebody behind it? .. Who is bigger than the PM?... we suspect Rahul Gandhi could be behind this... Who else can dare to challenge the PM? That is why there are these problems."
The veteran campaigner spared Sonia Gandhi, noting that the Congress chief was unwell and he did not wish to aggravate her illness. He even called her "leader of nation".
This was the second time when Anna targeted Rahul and pointed to a possible game plan to go after the Congress general secretary whom the party has assiduously tried to keep firewalled from controversial issues, less the freshness and novelty associated his brand gets sullied. It also marked an escalation of confrontation between Team Anna and Congress. Anna repeated that he would campaign against Congress in the coming state polls and seemed unfazed by the allegation that he had an agenda against the ruling party.
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