Published on Dec 09 2013By Atikh RashidKejriwal would have been Delhi CM if I had campaigned for him: Anna Hazare: Indian ExpressAnti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Monday said Arvind Kejriwal would have become Chief Minister had he campaigned for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi Assembly polls.
Hazare said he was impressed by Kejriwal's decision not to enter into alliance with any political party to form the government. "Had there been any other leader he would have taken support from Congress's eight MLAs and become the CM. But Arvind showed restraint. I liked that very much," told reporters in Ralegan Siddhi.
Briefing the media about his indefinite fast scheduled to start from Tuesday, Anna said AAP has emerged as a third and pro-people option to the Congress and BJP, who he called two sides of the same coin. He said AAP should now contest polls at a national level and he was sure that people will support it. He, however, added that there was no chance that he will ever publically support AAP candidiates or campaign for them.
Anna rubbished the widespread notion the BJP's success in the Assembly polls was due to a Narendra Modi wave in the country. "It's nothing like that. Modi has been there for years, but why has it happened only now? People have elected the BJP as they are weary of corruption and the Congress is doing nothing to address these issues. Will anything change even if Narendra Modi becomes the PM? Will he take India towards a bright future? No. He won't change a thing. To change the country for better, we need to decentralise power, give more power to gramsabhas, cleanse the political system," he said.
Anna said his fast will go on until the Rajya Sabha passed the bill where it has been stuck since November 2012. "The government has given us many promises but later backtracked. This time I will not break my fast on any promise. Either pass the Bill or I will die," he said.
He attacked Prime Minister for hurrying on the Anti-Riot Bill while cold shouldering the Jan Lokpal Bill. "It only shows that if they want they can pass the bills but they don't have the will power to fight corruption," he said.
Anna said he was feeling slightly weak because of the recent surgery but sacrifices needed to be made if the country has to be changed for better. "Kejriwal can support my agitation from outside but he won't be allowed on stage because he has his own political party," said Anna adding that no political representatives will allowed on stage.
I don't think Anna Hazare is compromised but he is a died-in-the-wool secular for whom Hindutvavadis are anathema. Actually Sonia Gandhi and her partners needed a man like Anna Hazare, a Gandhi-type, to launch an Arvind Kejriwal, a Nehru-type. Once successfully launched, the media on the directions from above moved away from Anna and focused its attention solely on the darling. Arvind Kejriwal however knows that he still needs Anna. Anna too has learned that he too still needs Arvind Kejriwal for otherwise no camera is going to watch him do his fast.
I do think that Anna Hazare was a bit taken in by all the attention. It happened to MK Gandhi as well. At some point they all think the world revolves around them, and all the Anna Anna that he heard, he thought all those supporters were pledged to him and so the cameras would stay for ever.
Basically Anna is again becoming active. Anna is again being activated. Arvind knows he can't take on Modi, a Netaji, without his own Gandhi. And Anna Hazare has started saying Modi is a useless politician. He can't do anything. Only his Jan Lok Pal is the magic bullet.
So Anna may have a good heart and he may be sincere about anti-corruption, but he is going to arraign himself against Modi, and that is bad news! If Anna Hazare aligns himself again with Arvind Kejriwal, then it is going to be tough for BJP to occupy the whole anti-incumbency vote. MSM is going to again fix itself on Anna and Modi would again be a side news for them. It would make a difference of a few crucial percentages. So one needs a quick fix.
I think it is time that BJP recruits VK Singh and Kiran Bedi officially into the BJP. If Anna feels torn between Kiran and Arvind, then he may decide to sit this one out and not criticize Modi too much.
Anna should remain neutered.
Secondly I think some independent crypto-Hindutva group should go after Jan Lokpal proving that instead of addressing corruption it may in fact increase it! I don't know the details of Jan Lokpal or if it is possible, but some clever heads like NaMo's may like to bring attention to any loopholes, albeit not addressing it personally.