Indore, Apr 16: The Congress on Saturday sharpened its knives at activist Anna Hazare and his associates by pointing a barrage of questions at the Gandhian.
Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, addressing a press conference here, asked why Rs 16 lakh expense limit has been set for a politician to contest Assembly election, when Rs 50 lakhs were spent on the four-day fast by Anna Hazare at Jantar Mantar.
Singh said, the group active behind Hazare's agitation has itself admitted that it collected Rs 82 lakhs through corporate and individual donations.
He also questioned why Aruna Roy and Harsh Mander were not included as representatives from civil society in the Joint Drafting Committee for Lokpal Bill. Aruna Roy was the brain behind the Right to Information Act and nobody else, said Singh.
He said he was concerned about the type of people who have surrounded Anna Hazare.
"I am myself a fan of Anna Hazare. A man from a poor background has done so many good things but he is presently surrounded by the wrong type of people."
"I was chief minister of Madhya Pradesh for ten years, but the BJP which tried its best to probe my tenure could not do a thing against me. They could not prove a single instance of corruption during my rule", claimed Singh.
The Congress leader said, he was also in favour of Lok Pal Bill, but the fate of 121 crore Indians and the country could not be left in the hands of a few "un-elected" people. "And we can't have an institution which can abuse its powers", said Singh, pointing towards the Lok Pal.
On the Shanti-Prashant Bhushan father-son duo, Singh said, " to be a good lawyer is one thing, but to draft a legislation is something different. I rsepect Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan who fight on public issues. But it is not necessary that a good lawyer should draft a good legislation. We cannot accept what they have drafted. How can any group usurp the rights of legislators elected by the people", questioned Singh.
Singh also questioned Anna Hazare's threat to march to the Red Fort if the Lok Pal Bill was not passed by August 15.
"I will request Anna Hazare not to issue such threats. The bill will go to Parliament, it will be discussed there and then only will it be passed. But it takes time.", said the Congress leader.
