Anna Hazare justifies 'Just One Slap' remark

Acknowledging that he "committed violence" when he made the infamous remark "Just One Slap" after Sharad Pawar was attacked in Delhi last month, Anna Hazare today said he did not consider this violence as wrong.

"For the betterment of the society and the country, I have used strong words many times in the past. "Just One Slap?" – I admit that I committed violence when I said that. But for the betterment of society, I do not consider this violence as wrong," Hazare posted on his blog.

"Many politicians felt very bad about the slapping incident. Many of them got very angry also. But it is important to discuss as to why did that youth slap," he said.

"Sharad Pawar is the agriculture minister at the centre and the power minister of the state is from his own party. Today after 22 years, the electric pumps of the farmers still get burnt due to low voltage, the crops get burnt, the transformers get burnt, but the politicians still don't get angry. This is unfortunate," Hazare said.

"The farmers protested at Mawal near Pune. They were shot at. Three farmers died. But the politicians still did not get angry about it," he said.

As Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar imported rotten wheat and since it was not edible, the wheat was buried in huge pits, he said, adding crores of public money was wasted but none of the politicians got angry about it.

"Padmasinh Patil, a relative of Sharad Pawarji, who was a minister in Sharad Pawar's cabinet, indulged in corruption while he was minister. I demanded an enquiry. When enquiry did not take place, I started a movement because of which the enquiry had to be ordered. The minister was found guilty and he had to be removed from the cabinet. To take revenge, this minister gave 'supari' [contract] of Rs 30 lakh to someone to kill me," Hazare said.