Congress, BJP amused by Anna-Kejriwal row

Anna, provoked by Kiran Bedi, writes a letter to Kejriwal, enquiring about the alleged misuse of funds.

Both BJP and the Congress believe that the slugfest between Kejriwal and Anna will stem AAP popularity.

New Delhi: Social activist Anna Hazare has come to the rescue of the BJP and the Congress by targeting AAP President Arvind Kejriwal. It is due to Anna Hazare’s movement on Jan Lokpal Bill that the Aam Aadmi was inspired by Team Anna.

Now, when the mud-slinging is taking place between the two – Anna and Kejriwal – the BJP and the Congress leadership are having the last laugh.

Anna, sources stated, was provoked by none other than Kiran Bedi to write a letter to Kejriwal, inquiring about the alleged misuse of funds. Anna, in his letter to Arvind Kejriwal, wanted to know whether the funds collected during the Jan Lokpal agitation were being used for contesting Delhi Assembly elections. “I believe, money which is being collected in the name of agitation should be used for an agitation only,” Anna wrote in his letter, leaked to the press by AAP. He also pointed fingers at his former colleague, wanting to know if SIM cards, issued in his name, were being sold for the collection of funds.

Both the BJP and the Congress leaders, agreed that the slugfest between Anna and Kejriwal will stem the popularity growth of the AAP, as questions are now being raised on the diversion of funds, to the tune of Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 2 crore that were meant for the India Against Corruption (IAC) Movement.

Anna, who was disinclined to turn the agitation into a political movement, has now become active to question the diversion of funds by AAP. Anna Hazare accused Kerjriwal of using his name for drawing popularity among the masses. The fact that Kejriwal has been repeatedly declaring that he will bring “Anna Hazare’s Lokpal,” after his party comes to power, was objected to by the social activist.

Kiran Bedi had refused to join hands with Kejriwal and had instead preferred BJP to try her luck in the political arena. She, at one time, was even lobbying in the BJP to get herself projected as the Delhi Chief Ministerial candidate of the party. The latest buzz is that she may contest as an Independent candidate for the Lok Sabha seat and may join the party at a later stage. Along with Anna Hazare, Kiran Bedi also wanted Kejriwal to come clean and reply to all the charges made by the social activist.

The AAP, which entered the electoral fray as clean and honest party, suddenly finds itself on the same page as the BJP and the Congress. Earlier, it was due to the probe ordered by Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde that Kejriwal became defensive on the funds received by him from abroad and now with his own so-called mentor raising objections, over his style of functioning, the triangular contest in Delhi has turned murkier.

Kejriwal’s colleague and former TV actress Shazia Ilmi is being attacked by none else than her own brother Rashid Ilmi, who is contesting against her from the prestigious constituency of R K Puram. Shazia’s mother is openly campaigning for her son and accusing her daughter of deserting her.

Except for three prominent candidates of AAP, Arvind Kejriwal, who is contesting against Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, besides Shazia Ilmi and Manish Sisodia, the rest are unknown to the electorate. Kejriwal and Sisodia are trying hard to come clean on the allegations made by Hazare, claiming that they will not contest polls if charges of using India Against Corruption (IAC) movement funds for political campaigning were found true.