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Despite strongly criticising and outright rejecting Team Anna member Kumar Vishwas’ demand for dissolution of core committee Anna Hazare-led India Against Corruption (IAC), he has become a “game changer” for bringing back the attention of the detractors from individuals to the anti-corruption agitation.
“Vishwas’ letter to Hazare demanding dissolution of the core committee was written in consultation with another prominent Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal. It was a well-thought out strategy to divert the attention of detractors within IAC from individuals to a debate on the survival of the core committee,” said an associate of the Gandhian here on Monday.
Vishwas, who had written a letter to Hazare demanding dissolution of the core committee was strongly criticised by some members during its meeting last Saturday. “A group within the core committee was planning to hijack the agitation by cornering members like Kejriwal, lawyer Prashant Bhushan, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi and Vishwas,” sources said.
The last core committee meeting was held in the backdrop of allegations of financial misconduct by Kejriwal and Bedi, Bhushan’s remark advocating plebiscite in Kashmir and resignations of two of its members Rajinder Singh and PV Rajagopal. This had provided ammunition not only to the ruling Congress and UPA Government but also some members within the core committee to attack them.
As a “game changer” strategy, it was decided that Vishwas would write a letter to Hazare favouring dissolution of the core committee and replacing it with a “hard-core committee of 121 crore Indian citizens.” Simultaneously, Hazare’s blogger Raju Parulekar issued a statement the same day revealing that the Gandhian favoured a pan-India organisation.
“This strategy worked as the detractors went on the defensive. When the meeting was held, although the detractors criticised Vishwas and Rarulekar, they opposed its dissolution,” sources said.
In a bid to keep the detractors in good humour, Kejriwal told mediapersons that Vishwas should not have released his letter directly to mediapersons. “However, the fact that Vishwas’s letter to the media was released by IAC itself a day before the core committee meeting is a sufficient proof of the backing which Vishwas had from Hazare and Vishwas,” said the sources.
The sources said the issue was even discussed at the meeting which Kejriwal, Bhushan and Bedi had with Hazare at his village Ralegan Siddhi on Sunday. “It was decided that instead of seeking any explanation from Vishwas when he comes back from Tokyo on Tuesday, the poet-lecturer would be lauded for diverting the attention of the detractors and also the nation from the controversies surrounding Team Anna members to the question of continuance of the core committee,” they pointed out.
“Vishwas’ letter to Hazare demanding dissolution of the core committee was written in consultation with another prominent Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal. It was a well-thought out strategy to divert the attention of detractors within IAC from individuals to a debate on the survival of the core committee,” said an associate of the Gandhian here on Monday.
Vishwas, who had written a letter to Hazare demanding dissolution of the core committee was strongly criticised by some members during its meeting last Saturday. “A group within the core committee was planning to hijack the agitation by cornering members like Kejriwal, lawyer Prashant Bhushan, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi and Vishwas,” sources said.
The last core committee meeting was held in the backdrop of allegations of financial misconduct by Kejriwal and Bedi, Bhushan’s remark advocating plebiscite in Kashmir and resignations of two of its members Rajinder Singh and PV Rajagopal. This had provided ammunition not only to the ruling Congress and UPA Government but also some members within the core committee to attack them.
As a “game changer” strategy, it was decided that Vishwas would write a letter to Hazare favouring dissolution of the core committee and replacing it with a “hard-core committee of 121 crore Indian citizens.” Simultaneously, Hazare’s blogger Raju Parulekar issued a statement the same day revealing that the Gandhian favoured a pan-India organisation.
“This strategy worked as the detractors went on the defensive. When the meeting was held, although the detractors criticised Vishwas and Rarulekar, they opposed its dissolution,” sources said.
In a bid to keep the detractors in good humour, Kejriwal told mediapersons that Vishwas should not have released his letter directly to mediapersons. “However, the fact that Vishwas’s letter to the media was released by IAC itself a day before the core committee meeting is a sufficient proof of the backing which Vishwas had from Hazare and Vishwas,” said the sources.
The sources said the issue was even discussed at the meeting which Kejriwal, Bhushan and Bedi had with Hazare at his village Ralegan Siddhi on Sunday. “It was decided that instead of seeking any explanation from Vishwas when he comes back from Tokyo on Tuesday, the poet-lecturer would be lauded for diverting the attention of the detractors and also the nation from the controversies surrounding Team Anna members to the question of continuance of the core committee,” they pointed out.
