Arvind Kejriwal betrayed expectations of people, says mentor Anna Hazare

NEW DELHI: Social activist Anna Hazare whose anti-corruption movement gave birth to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has hit out at his former protégé Arvind Kejriwal,

NEW DELHI: Social activist Anna Hazare whose anti-corruption movement gave birth to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has hit out at his former protégé Arvind Kejriwal, saying he was saddened by the string of scandals that has hit the party’s Delhi government. Hazare’s comments on Monday were one of the strongest criticism of Kejriwal who parted ways with the Gandhian to form the AAP after jointly the leading popular India Against Corruption movement. PUNE: Social activist Anna Hazare has said he is “very saddened to see” some of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s colleagues going to jail and that he is disappointed with Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for “betraying the expectations of people”.

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Hazare said the allegations against former AAP minister Sandeep Kumar, who has been accused of rape, were serious.

“It is painful,” said the social activist, who along with Kejriwal had spearheaded the 2011 anti-corruption movement, but had parted ways following differences when Kejriwal expressed his desire to float a political party.

“I am very hurt...When he [Kejriwal] was with me, he wrote a book on gram swaraj... Will we call this gram swaraj? That’s why I am very sad. The hope with which I was looking at him is over,” he said.

Hazare said he had warned Kejriwal about leaders and the importance of taking care of their character.

“You are going to roam the world after launching your party. You will hold rallies in the country for the same, but how will you find out the people who join your party have a good character or not, I had asked him.”

“He did not have an answer. I can experience it today. I had said this earlier also, be it any party or leader, it is necessary to check if the people who join a party have a clean character,” Hazare said.

“Is this a way that will lead a nation to the principles like Swaraj?,” Hazare asked, saying the entire nation had hoped Kejriwal would lead it to a new direction.

Hazare told a TV news channel, “Arvind has been with me for many years. I was very hopeful for Arvind. I was hoping he will set a different example for politics in India and that he will give the nation a different direction.”