Hazare flays Maha legislator for remarks about soldiers

Mumbai: Social activist Anna Hazare today criticised Maharashtra MLC Prashant Paricharak over his controversial remarks about soldiers. "I condemn the remarks which Paricharak made about soldiers and their wives," Hazare said, equating the legislator to a drunkard. "A drunkard doesn't realise what he has said, while under influence of liquor. In the same way, some political people are so inebriated with power and money that they don't know what they are saying.

Paricharak is one of them," Hazare said in a statement. "Paricharak may not be aware that soldiers get two months leave and spend this time with their families," he said. The anti-corruption crusader challenged Paricharak to "live in freezing Himalayan snow as our soldiers do." "I did not marry in the interest of society and the country but despite this, I will not tolerate insult of our jawans," Hazare said. At a recent campaign rally in Solapur, Paricharak, taking a dig at NCP leaders for 'credit-seeking', had said a soldier gets a telegram from his wife that she has delivered a baby and he distributes sweets to his colleagues on the border, though he has not visited him home for a whole year.

He was referring to NCP leaders who, he said, were taking credit for water supply from Ujani dam in Solapur district. However, the remarks backfired after a video clip of his speech went viral. Paricharak then expressed regret over his choice of words, saying he only wanted to highlight credit-seeking by NCP leaders and had no intention to hurt sentiments of jawans and their wives. Basically an NCP leader, Paricharak was elected to the Upper House of state Legislature last year on the support of BJP as an independent.