Soni slams Team Anna for demolishing confidence of people

"Members, who were erstwhile closely associated with Anna Hazare, for keeping themselves into headlines have almost made a campaign to demolish the basic confidence of people in our democratic institutions," Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters.

Soni also wondered whether such individuals can be called Team Anna, saying there is "great division" among them today.

Speaking on the sidelines of a Cabinet briefing, Soni said the documents on the basis of which they are making these allegations are "primary draft" of CAG report and "Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai had also said that quoting from the draft could be misleading and erroneous".

"They are accusing and raising their fingers on no one less than the Prime Minister on the basis of a preliminary draft report of the CAG," she said reminding that many such drafts have been revised and corrected in past.

"Their attempt to demolish the office of the Prime Minister, that too, of a person like Manmohan Singh is highly condemnable," she said.

Virtually daring Team Anna members to take legal recourse if they have any proof, Soni said that "if they have some points to make, they have a course to follow under the law of the land."

The minister at the same made it clear that her criticism "in no way reduces, demolishes or minimises the importance of eradicating corruption in our country" for which there are means and ways according to the laws of the land.

With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declaring that he will quit public life if corruption allegations are proved against him, Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal had yesterday demanded an independent probe into the charges, saying they will be most happy if these are proved wrong.