Anna Hazare silent on Kiran Bedi's U-turn

January 22, 2015

New Delhi, Jan 22: Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare literally snubbed Kiran Bedi, his former aide, to show his displeasure at her for joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), by not taking her calls and declaring on Wednesday that he would stay away from “political dirt”.

bediThe septuagenarian Gandhian had done the same thing – couple of years ago — when his other aide Arvind Kejriwal floated the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to fight a political battle. Hazare remained inaccessible for Kejriwal for a few days. Kejriwal and Bedi were part of the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement that Hazare launched in 2011.

However, now in the Delhi Assembly polls – the two tallest figures are fighting against each other and are engaged in a war of words.

At one point of time, Anna, Bedi and Kejriwal sat in core committee meetings in Ralegan Siddhi—his village in Ahmednagar —and chalked out future strategies.Hazare’s displeasure was clearly visible when he said he does not want to comment on Bedi’s move. “I want to stay away from political dirt,” he told reporters in a brief chat at Ralegan Siddhi.

On being asked to react to Bedi’s move and over reports he refused to take calls from her, Hazare said: “I do not wish to comment.”

Bedi, after being declared a CM-candidate on being asked about Hazare, had said: “I called Annaji on telephone, sometimes he was sleeping and sometimes he was taking rest. I tried calling Annaji…and would call again.”

To repeated queries, the 77-year-old veteran again said: “Please keep me away…..I do not want to get into political dirt.”

In December 2013, when AAP decided to form government in Delhi, Hazare had taken the same stand of not making any remark. “Let them do what they think good, I do not wish to comment,” he said.

On the issue of Jan Lokpal, he said that he would decide the future course of action after the Delhi polls.

While his closest aides have taken the political path, Hazare, a former soldier, has managed to stay away from politics.

Before the Lok Sabha elections last year, another aide Gen (Retd) V K Singh, the former chief of Army Staff joined the BJP, fought and won the Lok Sabha elections, and he is now the Minister of State for External Affairs and Minister of State (Independent Charge for North East Region).

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
May 30,2020

Coronavirus lockdown in India has been extended till June 30 with more relaxations.

While the lockdown has been extended in containment zones, relaxations outside containment zones include reopening of religious places for public  from June 8. 

Hotels, restaurants and shopping malls also to open from June 8. Decision on opening educational institutions to be taken in July.
 

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
May 26,2020

New Delhi, May 26: The in-fighting among the residents of housing societies over feeding of stray dogs is nowhere near ending, with yet another attack on a pregnant Russian woman again in the national capital region this time in Noida.

The Russian woman residing in a condominium in Noida's Sector 71 was allegedly attacked by two men for feeding foundling canines inside the complex.

"We have initiated an inquiry and a case has been registered against the men for voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation," Amit Kumar Singh, Station House Officer of Phase 3 police station told IANS.

The police said that the victim is married to an Indian man and they live in that society.

The issue was raked up on social media by one of the residents of the society. Her post had even solicited a response and help from the Noida Police Commissioner.

Kaveri Rana Bharadwaj wrote, "Mob led by Vikas Sharma, and Mr. Chauhan beat up a pregnant woman in Jagriti Apartment, Sector 71 Noida. Request you to immediately arrest these men and provide security to the scared woman!"

When contacted, a member of the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) of the society said that the allegations levied by her are false and that he, along with a handful of other people, had only asked her not to feed the dogs.

Vikas Sharma divulged, "The woman was called at the society gate by the members of the RWA. When she was asked not to feed the street dogs, she became aggressive, started fighting with the residents of the society and even pushed a 70-year-old woman. The complaint that she registered against us is false. We did not even touch her."

He added that there are 70-80 street dogs in the society who have lately become extremely aggressive. "The lady was asked not to feed them as people feared stepping out of their houses and getting bitten."

In another incident on Tuesday, a Greater Noida man beat up a Chinese woman for allegedly fostering a stray dog which bit his canine.

Greater Noida District Commissioner of Police Rajesh Kumar Singh told IANS that the man named Amar Pratap Singh of ATS Paradiso misbehaved with the woman after his dog was bit by another dog who she used to feed every day.

The incident happened in the wee hours of the day when the accused took his dog out for a walk. "After his dog was bitten, in a fit of rage, he misbehaved with the Chinese woman." A Non-Cognizable Report (NCR) has been registered and no arrests have been made so far, the police said.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
January 22,2020

New Delhi, Jan 22: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said Indian values consider all religions equal, and that is why the country is secular and never became a theocratic state like Pakistan.

Speaking at the NCC Republic Day Camp in Delhi, Singh said: "We (India) said we would not discriminate among religions. Why did we do that? Our neighbouring country has declared that their state has a religion. They have declared themselves a theocratic state. We didn't declare so."

"Even America is a theocratic country. India is not a theocratic country. Why? Because our saints and seers did not just consider the people living within our borders as part of the family, but called everyone living in the world as one family," the minister said.

Singh underlined that India had never declared its religion would be Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist and people of all religions could live here.

"They gave the slogan of 'Vasudev Kutumbakam' -- the whole world is one family. This message has gone to the whole world from here only," he added.

Comments

A Member of Va…
 - 
Thursday, 23 Jan 2020

 

Very thoughtful and eye-catching statement by Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh.

Sir, I kindly request you to convey this beautiful message to your Party’s comrades, who are deprived of this dosage for long times and are badly need of this.  

Also, for those from your Party, who are, time and again, spitting the venomous rhetoric against Dalits, Muslims, Christians and others alike.

Yashwant Sinhaji is now doing a wonderful job in this regard.

You will also follow his suit for sure in the days to come; that’s what your honest statement indicates.

    

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.