Social activist Anna Hazare on Friday made a scathing remark against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said the Enforcement Directorate arrested him because of his own deeds. Hazare, who spearheaded the Lokpal movement in the early 2010s along with Kejriwal, said he had warned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), arrested in the excise policy case, to avoid making such laws.
“I had told him that our job is not to make excise policy. Even a small child knows that liquor is bad. I had asked him to stay away from this (excise policy) issue. But he went ahead and made the policy,” Hazare told reporters at his village Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra.
“He thought that he will earn more money and that is why he made this policy. I felt sad and wrote to him twice. I felt sad that a person like Kejriwal, who once worked with me and raised our voice against alcohol, is now making the excise policy.
He got arrested due to his deeds. Had he not done anything, there was no question of his being arrested. Now law will take its course and the government will do the needful,” Hazare said.
Former Supreme Court Judge N Santosh Hegde, another key personality behind Hazare’s anti-corruption movement, also criticised the Delhi CM and said he was totally disappointed with Kejriwal, who was arrested in connection with an excise policy linked money-laundering case.
“It clearly shows that when in power, greed overtakes you,” the former Solicitor General of India said.
“I am totally disappointed. I thought AAP (after it came to power) will uphold administrative fairness which is not there. And it is an indication of the fact that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” he added.
After a part of the movement became a political party (AAP), Hegde, the former Karnataka Lokayukta, came out of it.
“Special reason for coming out was that politics today is a den of corruption. No political party is free from it. The India Against Corruption movement was fighting against corruption in administration.
It was our principle that we would stay out of politics and try to clean politics. But then a group of people decided that we should enter into politics (and then went on to form AAP) and clean it which I never believed it can be done successfully. And I think what’s happening today in AAP is an example of what I thought was correct,” Hegde said.
He said Kejriwal had come home to invite him to join the party but he disagreed.
Hegde also shared his views on oft-repeated allegations levelled by opposition parties against the BJP-led NDA government of misusing Central agencies like ED and CBI in corruption cases and targeting them.
“Allegation of parties in opposition that the ruling party is doing it only for destroying opposition, I don’t believe it. Yes, they are selectively doing this. But that is no offence at all. Because in criminal jurisprudence, there is no Article 14 (of the Constitution)…does not apply equality.
“And one day when they will come to power, they will go against the BJP. So, ultimately there will be complete justice, is it? If they don’t do it against the opposition, then when they come to power they won’t do it against these people also. At least 50 per cent justice is being done now,” he said.
In the coming Lok Sabha elections, Hegde said he wants every eligible person to vote.
“Vote not based on any caste, or any affiliation whatsoever, vote based on the quality of the candidate. If you don’t find a suitable candidate who would serve your constituency, then there is NOTA (None of the Above). Vote for NOTA. That will send a message to political parties that every ‘Tom, Dick and Harry’ is not a suitable politician,” he said.
(With PTI Inputs)
