Government, Hazare face-off intensifies

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The Indian government and the Congress party today launched an all out attack against Lokpal activist Anna Hazare accusing him of corruption and 'challenging the constitutional authority of Parliament'.

Hazare's fast against graft in the country is scheduled for August 16.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee also joined in the attack, alleging that the activist was 'challenging' the Constitution and Parliament authority and such a step is 'not acceptable'.

"What Anna Hazare is doing is akin to challenging the constitutional authority of Parliament which is not acceptable," the finance minister said.

'Attack on PM not Gandhian'

And earlier, at a press conference in the Capital, the government said the activist's right to protest was not absolute and his attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was not 'Gandhian'.

"The right to protest is not an absolute right, it also imposes certain obligations on the citizen. His attack on the PM is not Gandhian. A fast is meant for personal purification and not publicity," said union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal on Sunday.

On Saturday, Hazare appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in an open letter to personally intervene and allow the protest at Jantar Mantar.

"You are taking away our democratic right to protest, for which our freedom fighters sacrificed their lives, just two days before the Independence Day. I wonder what moral authority you would have when you will unfurl the national flag on the 65th Independence Day," Hazare had said in his letter.

The prime minister refused to be dragged into the issue.

"It is for the Delhi Police Commissioner to decide on giving permission to Anna Hazare for the venue of his protest after assessing the security implications," said Sibal.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni then asked: "Why are Anna and his associates not taking up issues like electoral reforms and evaluation of social welfare schemes of the government?"

'Anna is corrupt from head to toe'

The Congress party, meanwhile, questioned Hazare's intentions and accused the activist of corruption.

"The fast from August 16 has nothing to do with either the issue of corruption or the Lokpal bill," party spokesman Manish Tewari said, claiming that the 'moral core' of Hazare has been 'ripped apart' by the Justice P.B. Sawant Commission which had 'found him steeped in corruption from head to toe'.

The party also charged Hazare with systematically attempting to bring instability in the country.

"When someone tries to bring destabilisation, it becomes the duty of any political party to (fight back)", Tewari said in a stern signal to Hazare that 'too much tolerance has been shown to him so far'.

Tewari also alleged that the ideological disposition of the Team Anna consists of 'armchair fascists, overground Maoists, closet anarchists...lurking behind forces of right reaction and funded by invisible donors whose links may go back a long way abroad'.

Team Anna's reactions

Hazare has now dared the Congress party to back up allegations of corruption with evidence.

Team Anna said the charges only betrayed the party's 'nervousness' in the face of his proposed fast and wondered whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was responsible only to his office and not to the country.

"Such an allegation speaks of visible nervousness of Anna's call for it has reached out to all victims of corruption," said Hazare's close associate, Kiran Bedi.

She added that the Gandhian was a recipient of some of the most prestigious national awards like Padma Bhushan and the Padma Shri and 'the first basis of all these is integrity'.

'Charges against me are baseless'

Hazare himself has dismissed allegations by the Congress party.

"They (government) are liars and I am challenging the government to register a police complaint against me and start an inquiry. I am not afraid of any inquiry. I have decided that I will continue my fast till the false allegations against me are proven wrong," he said.

Quoting the Justice Sawant panel report, Hazare said that nowhere has the report taken his name.