Ralegan Siddhi, Oct 7: The RSS claim that it was part of the anti-corruption movement of Anna Hazare today set off a new controversy with the Gandhian dismissing the claim and Congress leader Digvijay Singh saying his stand has been vindicated.
Debunking the RSS claim, Hazare told reporters, “nobody approached me. Not a single RSS worker met me or approached me. How are they saying this? I don't know.”
He was reacting to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarks at the RSS' annual Dussehra rally in Nagpur yesterday that its volunteers “are already active in all movements against corruption without craving for their own position and credit”.
Referring to Bhagwat's claim, Digvijay Singh said that he stood vindicated by RSS chief's statement that the volunteers of his organisation had taken part in the recent anti-corruption agitations.
Singh said he had all along maintained that the RSS was part of Hazare's agitation for a strong Lokpal Bill and his stand has been vindicated now.
He said on many occasions he had to face strong criticism for making such statements, but now he has been proved correct.
Taking a jibe at Hazare for his previous reactions to his such remarks, Singh said, “whenever I say that Anna's campaign was run by the RSS, he tells me that I should go to the mental asylum. Now after Mohan Bhagwat's assertions, I want to ask Anna do I still need to go to an asylum?” The senior Congress leader said that Hazare should now accept the RSS involvement in his agitation since Bhagwat has already “admitted” it.
At the AICC briefing, party spokesperson Manish Tewari echoed similar views saying “what is evident need not to be evidenced” when asked about Bhagwat's statements.
The party reaction came against the backdrop of the Gandhian announcing his plans to campaign against it in the Hisar Lok Sabha bypoll.
Tewari, however, downplayed the issue saying that Congress fights all the elections with full gusto and accepts people's verdict with grace. “We will try our best to win the trust of the people,” he added when pointed out that Hazare has decided to campaign against Congress there.
Bhagwat in his speech yesterday lashed out at Government for attempting to crush anti-corruption movement and condemned the reported police brutality on the supporters of Baba Ramdev at Ramlila Maidan in June. PTI
