Fresh ripples on Team Anna decision to go political

Fresh remarks by an erstwhile Team Anna member that Anna Hazare was against the anti-graft movement turning political has triggered ripples with India Against Corruption (IAC) on Saturday taking on the critics.

Fresh remarks by an erstwhile Team Anna member that Anna Hazare was against the anti-graft movement turning political has triggered ripples with India Against Corruption (IAC) on Saturday taking on the critics.Sunita Godara, who was a member of Team Anna's Core Committee which was disbanded by Hazare earlier this week, claimed that the activist did not pressurise anyone but said that they were free to choose their own path.

"He (Hazare) told us that we are not yet ready to enter the political fraternity.... He told us that if you feel that this new alternative is a better way to fight against corruption and you believe that through this new alternative, you will win this fight then you have the freedom to choose that," she said.

Godara said Hazare did did not pressurise them and said that they were free to choose your own path. "If you decide to stay with me or not, I will continue to work in a non-violent social way," she said quoting Hazare.

Justice Santosh Hegde, who was also associated with the movement, said he is convinced that Hazare was right in not going political. "I don't think Team Anna would be able to successfully float a party and find candidates for all constituencies," he said.

In a statement uploaded on India Against Corruption website, erstwhile Team Anna member Kumar Vishwas sought to rebut the remarks on the feasibility of floating a political party.

Quoting Chanakya, he said one has to enter politics to clean it up. "Like anti-venom medicines are made from snake venom, one has to use creative, moral and responsible political to tackle wrong, directionless and immoral politics," he said.

On criticism of Team Anna's move, he alleged that no intellectual finds it necessary to comment when a criminal or a film star launches party.