Corruption Watch

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[url="http://www.dailypioneer.com/329681/Hazare-writes-PM-to-show-courage-on-Lokpal-issue.html"]Hazare writes PM to show courage on Lokpal issue[/url]

Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare today shot off a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, slamming the reaction of his government and Congress to his indefinite fast on Lokpal Bill issue, and urged him to show courage to take unprecedented steps to fight the menace.



Responding to Congress' criticism that his protest was "premature", 72-year-old Hazare said authorities resort to "malicious slandering" whenever cornered and asserted that he was not a kind of person who could be "instigated" into going on an indefinite fast. He alleged that "their spokespersons are misleading the nation".



Hazare, who launched his fast-unto-death yesterday here, told reporters that he was willing to join a committee on the bill issue only if Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was a member of it, maintaining that any other such body would lack powers.



Referring to criticism of his protest, Hazare said in the letter, "Dear Manmohan Singhji, this is an insult to my sense of wisdom and intelligence.... I take advice from many friends and critics but do what my conscience directs me to do.



"It is my experience that when cornered, governments resort to such malicious slandering. I am pained that the government, rather than addressing the issue of corruption, is trying to allege conspiracies when there are none," he said.



In the letter, Hazare said the activists were not asking for accepting the Bill drafted by them but create a "credible platform" -- a joint committee with at least half members from civil society.