New Delhi/ Chennai, June 10: Setting the stage for fresh hostilities, the Prime Minister's office on Saturday aggressively dismissed corruption allegations levelled by Team Anna against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over coal block allegations for being devoid of evidence.
Minister of state for PMO V Narayanasamy followed up a curt letter to Hazare with a fusillade against the Gandhian leader's associates Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi, calling them "anti-nationals" and alleging their financial dealings are not above board.
"As regards allegations made against the Prime Minister, they seem to be based on a leaked draft of the CAG on coal block allocations and on media stories. You have provided no evidence to back up these allegations," said Narayanasamy in his letter to Anna Hazare.
Speaking to the media in Chennai, Narayanasamy lashed out at Team Anna, saying Kejirwal needed to explain what had happened to large funds collected by the campaign for a Lokpal and said Bedi has also faced questions over the accounts relating to her travel bills.
Team Anna members Manish Sisodia and Bedi rejected the PMO letter, reiterating plans for a protest from July 25 for passage of the Lokpal Bill around the time Parliament is due to meet for its monsoon session. "Use of hollow words like progressive laws" are not convincing, said Sisodia. "Our protest from July 25 will go on as planned," said Sisodia while Bedi said the letter was 'wishy-washy'.
The sharp exchange is an indicator that the government, already under attack for corruption and glacial governance, is feeling the heat and is likely to increasingly lash out at the activists. The government's efforts to pass the Lokpal Bill have been stymied in the Rajya Sabha where it lacks a majority and where the opposition has supported clauses the Centre is loathe to concede.
Caught between the political opposition in Parliament and Team Anna outside, the government is readying for renewed confrontation with the activists. After the PMO letter rejected the demand for a special investigation team to probe charges leveled by the Hazare group against the PM and 14 ministers, Narayanasamy said, "Anna is a simple man, but he is surrounded by anti-national elements and people who have been supported by foreign forces."
The letter and the remarks make it evident that the row can get uglier. "The government is also determined to ensure baseless and uninformed allegations made against public servants are not allowed to create fear that can lead to paralysis in decision-making and slow down growth and development," the letter said.
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