Author: Express news service
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: October 17, 2011
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/rss-hits-back-at-anna-was-part-of-antigraft-movement/860501/0
The RSS has said it was anguished to know
that Anna Hazare has described reports of its support to his anti-corruption
movement as a "conspiracy". RSS was referring to Hazare's reply
to AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh.
RSS general secretary Suresh Bhaiya Joshi,
in a statement on Saturday, said it was unfortunate to see that "a person
of Hazare's stature had fallen victim to shrewd political machinations".
Hazare's remarks about RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat
in the letter are equally painful, Joshi, who along with Bhagwat is camping
in Gorakhpur to attend RSS's national executive meeting, added.
The RSS statement, however, praised Hazare,
calling him a man committed to noble ideals and one who has been leading a
massive popular movement against corruption in the country.
"The entire credit for the success of
this movement goes to him only. I and thousands of other activists of the
country are familiar with and inspired by the ideas articulated by him on
several occasions and the developmental activity undertaken by him."
RSS also termed the present debate over its
participation in the campaign against corruption as "malicious"
and a "conspiracy" to weaken the movement. "It is a paramount
responsibility of the leaders of anti-corruption movements to safeguard them
from narrow and low-level conspiratorial politics," Joshi said. RSS maintained
it was very much a part of Hazare's movement against corruption at Delhi's
Ramlila Grounds and across India.
RSS's head of propaganda (Prachar Pramukh)
Manmohan Vaidya, in Gorakhpur. said "RSS workers were present in hundreds
and thousands both at the Ramlila grounds and across the country during the
anti-corruption movement".
- With PTI Gorakhpur
