Under attack, Pawar quits GoM on corruption

In his latest campaign against corruption, noted social activist Anna Hazare tasted success today with Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar’s decision to step down from the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on corruption.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Hazare had questioned Pawar’s presence in a committee that was to draft the Lokpal Bill.

“You say that your Group of Ministers is drafting the anti-corruption law. Many of the members of this group have such a shady past that if effective anti-corruption systems had been in place, some of them would have been behind bars,” Hazare told the PM.

Hours after the letter reached the PMO, Pawar decided to quit from the ministerial panel. The EGoM, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, is likely to give its report next month.

The veteran social activist, however, treated the news of Pawar’s decison in his characteristic manner. “So what if he has quit? One Pawar goes, another will come in. Our campaign will continue,” the 72-year-old Hazare told reporters.

“The committee will not be able to do anything. One of the ministers in the committee is himself corrupt. I am talking about Sharad Pawar. Till Pawar is there there’s no point talking to the committee,” Hazare had observed.

Earlier in the day, Pawar told a press conference that he would be happy to be out of all GoMs.