Lucknow Dec 10: Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh today said Anna Hazare is “under the influence of people who have their separate political agenda” and asked Team Anna to wait for the decision of parliament before attacking party leader Rahul Gandhi on the Lokpal Bill.
“I request Anna Hazare and members of his team to wait for the decision of parliament before attacking Rahul Gandhi on the Lokpal Bill”, Singh said in response to a question during the press conference convened to apprise the media about the visit of Rahul Gandhi to the state capital.
“Actually, Anna Hazare is a simple person and says whatever people surrounding him ask him to say”, Singh said adding he is under the influence of people who have their separate political agenda.
“The central government wants to bring a strong and good lokpal bill. Members of all political parties were members of the standing committee and some of them have also expressed doubts about some parts of the draft prepared by it. Now, it is for parliament to either pass it or reject it”, he said asking Team Anna to await for the decision of parliament.
To a question on Hazare's threat to campaign against Congress in the assembly poll-bound states in case the Lokpal bill was not passed in the winter session of parliament, Singh quipped “Anna ka swagat hai” (we welcome Anna).
Reiterating his allegation that Anna's agitation is sponsored by RSS, Digvijay Singh said that as stated by him earlier RSS planned to make corruption an issue to “divert” people's attention.
“Baba Ramdev was their plan A while Anna Hazare is their plan B and Sri Sri Ravishankar plan C”, he said.
On the coming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Digvijay Singh said 213 candidates of the total 403 have already been announced while efforts were on to decide the remaining names also by this month-end.
Claiming that his party would put up a surprisingly good performance in coming polls, Singh said RLD has decided to join UPA and both the parties would together contest the elections with mutual understanding and the list of such seats would be announced soon.
The Congress leader claimed several leaders of UP's ruling BSP were in touch with him and the situation was the same in SP also.
