Making its electoral ambitions clear, Team Anna said its mission was to ensure new and able people came to power in 2014. The statement comes close on the heels of Gandhian Anna Hazare toughening his approach by rejecting talks with the government and instead offering to campaign for “credible’’ candidates. He had earlier said he would not object to some members of Team Anna contesting elections.
Recent speeches made from Jantar Mantar have also given credence to the electoral game plans of the activists with Kiran Bedi saying, “This mission will not stop till the 2014 elections, till the time new and apt people come in power.’’
There were bitter words from 74-year-old Anna, who is on fast since Sunday, as he said he was not interested in even talking to the Prime Minister even as the government continued to play hardball.
Hazare said, “The government says they will not send any representative to talk to us. We don’t need ministers to come and talk to us. The agitation will continue till our demands are met. I am not even ready to talk to the Prime Minister.... I can return Padma Bhushan right now. The people have given me such a big award.’’
Hazare said he has decided that he will protest repeatedly “until the flood of good politics comes”. The statement from Hazare came on a day when his close aides, Arvind Kejriwal and Gopal Rai, rejected doctors’ advice for hospitalization after their fast entered the seventh day.
Earlier in the day, Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan targeted the government for not initiating a dialogue with Team Anna. “They want people like Anna, Arvind, Manish and others to die so that they can continue their loot,” he said.
On BJP chief Nitin Gadkari’s reported comments that Team Anna should not target the system in general, Kumar Vishwas said, “They supported our movement earlier but not now. His party was with us because they thought it will help them win elections in five states.”
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