There was turmoil in Team Anna on Tuesday with two key members, social activist P.V. Rajagopal and “waterman” Rajinder Singh, deciding to dissociate themselves from the anti-graft crusader’s core committee.
They claimed the movement was mired in confusion as it had taken a “political turn” which was not acceptable to them.
Claiming that the decision to campaign against the Congress in Hisar Lok Sabha byelection was not taken by the core committee, both said there was no point remaining associated with the anti-graft movement. Mr Rajagopal, however, revealed that the team members had tried to pressure him not to leave. “I dissociate myself from the team. The team is turning political. There were statements indicating that, including that on Hisar,” Mr Singh said.
RTI activist and senior Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal, meanwhile, was the target of a shoe attack in Lucknow where he had arrived to address a meeting of India against Corruption. Just as Mr Kejriwal was alighting from his car at Jhulelal Park, a man threw a shoe at him but missed.
The man, identified as Jitendra Pathak, was overpowered and beaten up by IAC activists. Pathak was taken into custody by the police.
Mr Rajagopal, in Kerala’s Attappadi as part of an all-India yatra for land rights, wrote to core committee convenor Arvind Kejriwal about his decision while Mr Singh said he did not feel the need to write any such letter.
Their decision to leave comes as a body blow to Team Anna following Mr Hazare’s open flip-flop over member Prashant Bhushan’s continuation in the team after Mr Bhushan had said he thought a plebiscite in J&K was the way to go.