The Team Anna core committee on Saturday rallied behind those of its members facing allegations of financial misconduct but left the issue of expansion of the decision-making body to Anna Hazare. The core committee asserted that there
was no need to disband the body and that it would give a strong reply to “the government’s attempt to target its members”.
The core committee decided that Mr Arvind Kejriwal, Ms Kiran Bedi and Mr Prashant Bhushan would leave for Ralegaon Siddhi to seek Mr Hazare’s approval of the resolutions passed by the committee, which reiterated the deadline of the Winter Session to pass an effective Lokpal Bill failing which they would launch a campaign against the Congress in five poll-bound states.
Flanked by former Union minister Shanti Bhushan, Mr Kejriwal said the core committee unanimously decided that it should not be dissolved. Interestingly, the core committee, sources said, felt the charges against Ms Bedi were not “serious”. The members also decided that Mr Bhushan’s comment in support of plebiscite in Kashmir was his “personal” opinion. Key members Medha Patkar, Kumar Viswash and Vincent M. Concessao did not attend and Team Anna volunteers ensured that none of the core committee members spoke to the media. Mr Kejriwal, however, said that if the PM’s letter of assurance had come earlier they would not have had campaigned in Hisar. But Mr Bhushan justified the Hisar campaign.
The committee also defended Mr Kejriwal, saying a decision was earlier taken to deposit funds in the account of the NGO headed by him.