The Hindu : Expedite setting up of panel, says Hazare

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 18, 2003

Other States

Other States - Maharashtra

Expedite setting up of panel, says Hazare

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI JULY 17. The social activist, Anna Hazare, whose allegation of corruption against four Nationalist Congress Party Ministers had led to a strong counter-charge from one of them, Civil Supplies Minister, Suresh Jain, now wants Mr. Jain to expedite the setting up of a three-judge panel to probe the charges the two have been hurling against each other.

In a signed statement today from his village Ralegaon-Siddhi, Mr. Hazare said that the suggestion of a three-judge panel was made by Mr. Jain though he had agreed, during a television debate, to a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation. Now, it was for Mr. Jain to expedite the process so that the "people come to know the truth".

Mr. Jain had held five press conferences and released hundreds of pages of documents, which indicate "irregularities including financial ones", called Mr. Hazare "a fraud" and "a hoax masquerading as a social activist", and wanted him arrested. Both have filed defamation cases against each other.

Mr. Hazare today described as "false" what Mr. Jain had been feeding the media at regular intervals, and said that those who did good social work were always targets of such character assassination. "Only those trees that bear fruits attract stones," he said. Sant Gnaneshwar, Tukaram, Eknath — all saints of Maharashtra — "too were thus harassed".

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

Stories in this Section

Expedite setting up of panel, says Hazare

Govt. to 'test' POTA on crimes against Dalits

Left has a big role in forming alternative to NDA: Pawar