Anna Hazare declines BJP's appeal to join agitation against AAP govt

Activist Anna Hazare on Friday said it was "unfortunate" that the Delhi BJP should ask him to join in its agitation against the AAP government when it has a huge cadre of its own and wields power in the Centre.

His going to Delhi would not make any difference as he did not believe any party can give the country a bright future, Hazare said in a letter to Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta.

Gupta had on Monday written to Hazare, urging him to join his party's "mass movement" against the Arvind Kejriwal government, which he had claimed was "a new name of social, political and economic corruption".

Reacting to Hazare's response, Gupta on Friday said "the Delhi BJP has a strong organisation and is capable of leading all kinds of mass movements but wanted the symbolic presence of the social activist because the AAP was born out of the movement led by him".

Several senior Delhi BJP leaders criticised Gupta for bringing "embarrassment" to the party.

"What could be more embarrassing than this. It seems Gupta did not consult senior party leaders before writing to Hazare," said a former Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party president.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was Hazare's key ally in his 2011 anti-corruption agitation in the national capital.

"I felt disappointed reading your letter written to the press. Your party, BJP, has been ruling the country for the past more than six years," Hazare said.

"What could be more unfortunate than leaders of a party, which has youth cadres in big number and claims to have the highest number of members in the world, urging an 83-year-old fakir (monk) like Anna Hazare who resides in a temple's 10X12 feet room and has no asset and power, to join in its protest," he wrote.

The BJP-led Union government controls agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Hazare said, asking why no legal action was being taken against the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi if it was corrupt.

His agitations were never against any party, the octogenarian said.

The BJP came to power in 2014 showing dreams of corruption-free India, "but the worries of people have not lessened", Hazare said.

Political parties find faults with their rivals, but need to introspect and talk about their own flaws, he said.

"In the present condition, I don't think any party can give a bright future to the country. Many parties are stuck in the circle of making money out of power and attaining power using money," he said.

"....people will not get relief until the system changes. Hence, I feel my coming to Delhi again will make no difference," Hazare added.